It is only when we become parents ourselves that we realise what becoming a parent feels like – the responsibility it carries and, the absolute joy that it brings with it. It’s also the time when we truly start to appreciate our own parents.

In Malta, most parents also get to experience hands-on grand parenting. Most are actively involved in their grandchildren’s lives, sometimes taking on a good part of their upbringing.

At times, however, after lots of hard work, our parents start to need more help than before. Some start to need assistance with particular tasks, others with medical treatments or, with getting out of the house. For some, things take a turn to the worse quickly and, they start to need more extensive care.

Whatever the case may be, parents deserve the best care and assistance that fit their needs – the type of arrangement that gives us peace of mind while respecting their freedom and dignity. After all, when they were taking care of us and of our children, they were patient and provided for our needs as individuals, adapting to our needs.

There’s no way that we can repay our parents but one way is to offer them the retirement that they deserve. The luxurious Hilltop Gardens Retirement Village in Lija is the first of its kind for the Maltese islands. It is ideal for those who value their independence and freedom, for those who want to stay close to their loved ones, and for those who want security and easy access to care and assistance whenever they need it.

The Hilltop Gardens Retirement Village welcomes its first clients by the end of the year; it offers luxurious apartments and penthouses, a residential care home for temporary or longer stays, and a specialised dementia unit. All are within walking distance of each other.

For more information call on 2143 2277, visit http://hilltopretirementliving.com or send an e-mail to info@hilltopretirementliving.com