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Ryman Times Australian Edition
Farewell to Kevin Hickman
Winter 2018
Ryman gathers speed in Melbourne
Congratulations to all our Ryman Awards winners
Ryman triumphs at Monash Business Awards
A note from Gordy Hello and welcome to your winter edition of the Ryman Times.
Congratulations to all our Ryman awards finalists and winners – it was nice to be able to celebrate with you all a few weeks ago in Auckland, I’m sure the party continued back at the villages when our champions returned home. We took the opportunity at the awards to bid farewell to our co-founder Kevin Hickman, and he was characteristically humble about the fuss. It is hard to do justice to Kevin’s contribution to Ryman. Without him there would not be a Ryman, but he did much more than just start a company. He spotted an opportunity to set up a company to meet a neglected area — the care of older people — and he and John Ryder built an ethical company with an enduring model that is fair to residents and a stable long-term investment for shareholders. Since 1984 we've cared for over 30,000 residents and provided work for 21,000 staff. The standard of retirement living options and care amenities has improved immensely over those years, and I think Kevin can take a lot of credit for that. His original vision — that the care we provided had to be good enough for Mum — remains our goal today. He knew that if we put residents first — and put care at the heart of everything we do — then all else would follow. And just to make sure his legacy is preserved we’ve set up an annual award in Kevin’s name, and it will go to the person in Ryman who best represents his values. The inaugural award will be in June next year. It has been a busy few months with many highlights, but I was particularly
pleased when I found out we’d won the Most Trusted Brand for the fourth time. Trust is essential to everything we do, so there’s no better accolade for all our staff. I couldn’t think of a better award to win. We were also pleased to announce recently that we’ve reset the pay of our staff, and, in particular, our 517 nurses. Increasing pay is just one part of the equation for staff. Making sure they are developing to their full potential is just as important. We have also invested heavily in leadership development, and 288 of our leaders have taken part in our LEAP development program this year. In addition, we have sent a number of senior leaders to London to study, and 50 senior leaders are receiving individualised leadership coaching. Giving away charity cheques is always fun, and everyone in the wider Ryman family did themselves proud by raising a combined $415,000 for frontline dementia work as well as research on both sides of the Tasman. Please enjoy your latest Ryman Times. Keep safe as the winter continues. It may not feel like it right now, but it will be spring before we know it. Trust me, it will! Regards,
In this issue 3
From a brush with death, to a thirst for life
4
Big hearted residents donate to Dementia Australia
5
Ryman gathers speed in Melbourne
6
Congratulations to all our winners
8 9 10
Live stronger for longer
12
Ryman triumphs at Monash Business Awards
Farewell to Kev Weary Dunlop remembered
Ryman Healthcare Ltd Gordon MacLeod Chief Executive
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Level 10, Suite 10.03 420 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004 1800 288 299 www.rymanhealthcare.com.au
Joanne Wang says trust is essential to building a great team culture.
From a brush with death, to a thirst for life To understand why Joanne Wang has been so successful in her career you need to know something personal about her: she almost died. When the clinical manager at Weary Dunlop Retirement Village was a teenager in her native China, she was struck down by a life-threatening illness. She recovered and came to Australia to study soon after, but her brush with death has had a profound impact on who she is. Most of all, it has had an impact on how she goes about her work. “I think I always had a belief that when I recovered from my illness, before I came to Australia, that life is very short,” she says. “If I want to do something, I want to do my very best because you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. “I think my approach to life is totally changed after [my illness]. I just can’t believe that I’m still here talking to you today when I think of how ill I was then. “So, it makes me appreciate life and time a bit more.”
It has also given her a greater appreciation of what it’s like being on the other side of the nurse-patient relationship. When you understand how fragile life can be, as Joanne does, it informs your philosophy of care for residents. “That’s why I keep saying to the staff… never just walk out of their room without asking them; ‘what else can I do for you?’” That dedication to her work and her empathy for people needing care has been central to her career success. At just 30 years old Joanne has been the clinical manager at Weary Dunlop for almost three years, where she oversees more than 50 staff and is responsible for 82 residents. But she’s not just managing Weary Dunlop’s clinical services, she’s leading them. Joanne won the ‘Leader of the Year’ category at the Ryman Awards in June. Asked if that recognition came as a surprise, she melts into laughter: “I don’t know how they chose me but, I’m thankful for the trust they all have in me. It is everyone’s
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effort — I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today, and we wouldn’t be able to achieve the [recent] accreditation, without any of them.” That the nomination for the leadership award came from her staff means the most to Joanne because, she says, it reassures her that the team is behind her in her pursuit of excellence. But high-functioning teams don’t just happen by accident. Asked how she built that culture among her staff, her response makes clear that her empathetic outlook extends beyond a sense of shared experience with patients. “You trust them, and you put yourself in their role. I was a PCA before I was a nurse, and I was a nurse on the floor before I was a nurse unit manager, and I was a nurse unit manager before I became a clinical manager. So, I know it can be hard. “And I have trust in them. I always have trust that everyone is always genuine and kind.”
Dementia Australia Executive Director Leanne Emerson and Weary Dunlop Village Manager Kym Faulkner.
Big hearted residents donate to Dementia Australia Ryman residents and staff have raised a record $415,000 for dementia research and support on both sides of the Tasman. Dementia Australia was handed a novelty cheque for $25,000, raised by Weary Dunlop staff and residents in Melbourne, and Alzheimers New Zealand received a cheque for $390,000 raised by Ryman’s New Zealand villages. Village Manager Kym Faulkner presented the cheque to Dementia Australia Executive Director Leanne Emerson at the village in a ceremony attended by residents and staff. In handing over the donation, Kym acknowledged the huge challenge Dementia Australia has undertaken: 425,000 Australians are living with the illness and that number is projected to grow to 900,000 by 2050. “Those are staggering numbers, but it’s important to remember that beneath the statistics are real people and their loved ones whose lives are impacted profoundly,” Kym said. “Some of those real people are cared for right here in this building. Many of the residents who contributed to this donation had one of those real people in mind when
they reached into their wallet.” The Weary Dunlop residents raised the money at fundraising events, including raffles at Happy Hours, during the past 12 months. Kym said compared to the size of Dementia Australia’s work in advocating for people with dementia, their families and carers, the size of the village’s donation was small. “But big challenges are only ever overcome by everyone pulling together, contributing whatever they can, and making progress one small step at a time.” Leanne said the donation was “really remarkable”. “To come up with $25,000 to support Dementia Australia is extraordinary. “I think it’s an outstanding effort and Dementia Australia is really grateful.” After the cheque was presented, Kym revealed that the Stroke Foundation had been chosen as the village’s charity partner for the year ahead. Ryman Chief Executive Gordon MacLeod said it was a pleasure to be able to help. “The money’s been raised at hundreds of events around our
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villages and is the most we’ve ever raised for a charity partner. I think it reflects the widespread impact Alzheimer's and dementia have on so many lives.’’
Stroke Foundation The charity partner for the coming year is the Stroke Foundation in New Zealand and Australia. Each year we consult with our residents and staff about who they would like to support. Stroke is the third biggest killer in New Zealand and affects more than 475,000 Australians, so we’re delighted to lend a hand. We’re looking forward to a great partnership with the foundations on both sides of the Tasman. Ryman has donated more than $3.2 million under its charity partnership program since 1999.
Ryman rolls on Ryman's new Burwood East village in Melbourne has received development approval.
Ryman gathers speed in Melbourne
New villages open with construction continuing: • • • •
Ryman Healthcare’s expansion in Melbourne is gaining momentum with the purchase of a new site in Aberfeldie and the way is now clear to start work on a fourth village in the city at Burwood East. The latest retirement village site is a 1 ha property on Vida St in Aberfeldie, just 9km form the CBD, and it will be Ryman’s eighth village in Victoria. Chief Development Officer Andrew Mitchell said the new village would provide a full range of independent living options and aged care in a beautiful new resort-style village, which will eventually be home to more than 200 residents. Andrew said Aberfeldie was an excellent established suburb and the site was perfect for a Ryman village. “There is a real shortage of retirement care options in the wider Essendon and Moonee Ponds area, and we believe residents will like the concept of a Ryman-style village in the area offering a full continuum of care. “Aberfeldie has excellent schools and access to town, and we think the village will be popular with residents looking to downsize their large family homes. In turn this will free up the area for families
wanting to move close to schools.” Whitehorse Council has given Ryman Healthcare the go ahead for its new Burwood East village in Melbourne. The 2.5 ha village, just off Burwood Highway on Middleborough Rd, is part of a large Frasers Property redevelopment in the area. Gordon MacLeod told shareholders at Ryman’s annual meeting in July that getting the go ahead from Whitehorse Council was great news and it added to momentum in Australia. The Burwood East village will include 132 aged care and specialist dementia beds, 91 serviced apartments and 174 independent apartments. Ryman Healthcare consults with residents before naming its villages. Other villages in Victoria include Weary Dunlop at Wheelers Hill and Nellie Melba at Brandon Park. Ryman Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Debbie McClure said naming suggestions were welcome. “There’s nothing like a bit of local knowledge and we’ve found over the years that the best suggestions come from the people who know the place well. We’d love to hear any suggestions and to name it in honour of a Melbourne local.’’
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Charles Upham, Rangiora: Final stage under construction. Bob Scott, Petone: Final stage under construction. Bert Sutcliffe, Auckland: Final stage under construction. Logan Campbell, Greenlane, Auckland: Care centre open.
New villages under construction: •
• • •
Nellie Melba, Brandon Park, Melbourne: First residents about to move in. Devonport, Auckland: Construction under way. Lynfield, Auckland: Construction under way. River Rd, Hamilton: Site works under way.
New villages in the planning and design phase: •
•
• • • • • • • • • •
Burwood East, Melbourne: Approval received, work due to get under way later in the year. Coburg, Melbourne: Approval received, work due to get under way later in the year. Aberfeldie, Melbourne Mt Eliza, Melbourne Mt Martha, Melbourne Geelong, Victoria Hobsonville, Auckland Lincoln Rd, Auckland Te Aute Rd, Havelock North Karori, Wellington Newtown, Wellington Park Terrace, Christchurch
Congratulations to all our winners! The 2018 Ryman Awards was a night of immense celebration, with seven prizes presented to thoroughly deserving winners. Among those honoured during the night was co-founder Kevin Hickman who is retiring from the board after 34 years. The finalists for the Caregiver of the Year award were Sue Gemmell from Jane Mander village, Ronita Prasad from Wootcote village, and Adnan Mahamad from Edmund Hillary village. Deputy Operations Manager Liz Dilger presented the award to winner, Adnan, for his kind, caring and passionate nature. Hayley House from Ryman Christchurch, David Wand, maintenance at Ernest Rutherford and Judy Patterson, Assistant Manager at Yvette Williams were the finalists for the Support Team Member of the Year. Judy won the award presented by Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Debbie McClure. Her colleagues say Judy never hesitates to help anyone who needs it. The finalists for the Young Achiever of the Year award were Andrew Inch, Construction Foreman at Charles Upham, Leah Hand, Assistant Manager at Grace Joel, and Cassie Scaife, Registered Nurse at Anthony Wilding. Chief Financial Officer David Bennett presented Andrew with the award, praising his ability to juggle the requirements of a busy construction site with his desire to keep his residents happy. The Construction Team Member of the Year Award went to Scott Redmond. Paulina Woch, Ryman office, and Tony Clyne, Brandon Park, were the other two finalists. Chief Construction Officer Tom Brownrigg presented Scott with the award, and said that he was a health and safety guru who showed initiative to proactively build respect and trust with his team members.
The finalists for the hotly-contested Sales Advisor of the Year award were Kate Morgan from Frances Hodgkins, Fiona Scotland from Jane Mander, and Shona Bayliss from Princess Alexandra. Bernadette Forsdyke, NZ Sales and Community Relations Manager, presented Kate with the award for sales success through outstanding community work. Kate also won the inaugural Sales Advisor of the Year award in 2011. Joanne Wang, Clinical Manager at Weary Dunlop, was named Leader of Year which was presented by Nicole Forster, Chief People and Technology Officer. Joanne was praised for the way she had wowed the team at Weary Dunlop. “She is an amazing role model, who inspires and mentors everyone around her,” Nicole said. The other finalists were Travis Cocks, Project Manager at Nellie Melba; and Shalimar Bawayan, Clinical Manager at Jane Mander. And finally, the Village of the Year Award for 2018 went to Evelyn Page Retirement Village in Orewa. Evelyn Page managed to balance achieving high survey ratings — meaning its residents and their families were happy with the experience of living there — with achieving great results in terms of occupancy and staffing rates. The award recognised the efforts of the whole Evelyn Page team and is a just reward for the amazing teamwork that has seen them be successful over a number of years. Barbara Reynen-Rose, Chief Operations Officer, presented outgoing Village Manager Lynn Charlton and the Evelyn Page team with the award as testament to their hard work and dedication to their residents. Congratulations to all our 2018 winners and finalists. You are all great examples of the Ryman Difference — our people.
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Village of the Year
Evelyn Page Retirement Village Presented by Chief Operations Officer Barbara Reynen-Rose
Sales Advisor of the Year
Young achiever of the Year
Caregiver of the Year
Andrew Inch
Adnan Mahamad
Presented by Chief Financial Officer David Bennett
Presented by Deputy Operations Manager Liz Dilger
Support Team Member of the Year
Construction Team Member of the Year
Leader of the Year
Scott Redmond
Presented by Chief People and Technology Officer Nicole Forster
Judy Patterson Presented by Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Debbie McClure
Presented by Chief Construction •7 OffiRyman cer TomTimes Brownrigg
Kate Morgan Presented by New Zealand Sales and Community Relations Manager Bernadette Forsdyke
Joanne Wang
Gordon MacLeod with Julia Wallace residents Beth Roach, Louise Illingworth and Margaret Gregory.
Live stronger for longer New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) Minister Iain Lees-Galloway was put through his paces alongside some seriously fit senior citizens at the Julia Wallace Retirement Village in Palmerston North, New Zealand, in late June. The minister joined Gordon MacLeod and around 30 village residents — some aged in their 90s — for a Triple A (Ageless, Active, Aware) exercise class. The minister was promoting ACC’s ‘Live Stronger for Longer’ program, for which Ryman’s Triple A classes have recently received formal accreditation. The program was created to prevent falls and fractures in over 65s. It includes strength and balance classes across New Zealand, and online resources. “It was a huge amount of fun,” Iain Lees-Galloway said. “It was really enjoyable just being part of the group and it was clear how much the village residents enjoy spending time together as much as they do exercising. It’s obviously having a really positive effect because there are some very fit people living here.”
Ryman’s Triple A classes have been running for 11 years, Gordon said. “It started off small, but we now offer 765 classes a week across all our villages. That’s literally thousands of residents taking part and enjoying the benefits of a more active lifestyle every day.” Activities and Lifestyle Coordinator Chelsea Richdale, who also took part in the class, played the lead role in getting the Triple A program ACC accredited. “For a long time, we have known that the program was a success, but by becoming accredited with
ACC this further proves it,” she said. “We often receive questions from residents and relatives asking how we know Triple A is improving our residents’ mobility and health. By being associated with ACC we can now say that ACC approves what we do.”
"It's obviously having a really positive effect because there are some very fit people living here."
ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway participating in the class with residents. Ryman Times • 8
Board Chairman Dr David Kerr, Mene Mene and Kevin Hickman at the Ryman annual conference.
Farewell to Kev In May 2018, our co-founder Kevin Hickman announced he was standing down from the board of Ryman after 34 years of service. Chairman Dr David Kerr said there was no doubt that Ryman would not be what it is today without Kevin’s vision and leadership. Kevin’s Ryman journey began back in 1983, when as a former policeman turned private detective, he was asked to investigate a resthome fire in Christchurch, and he did not like what he saw. “There were four people to a room with shared toilets down the corridor. The people running the resthome were nice and did a good job in as much as they were expected to. But to me, it was crazy. The standards were so poor. But that’s how resthomes were in those days.” What bothered Kevin was the lack of privacy and dignity for residents. He started thinking about what the standards should be like: “I thought, what would I want for Mum?” Kevin teamed up with John Ryder, and they got the idea to improve the way older people lived and how they were cared for — it was a business they could believe in. The pair soon found a block of 14 two-bedroom flats in Christchurch, that they would convert into their first
resthome and Ryman — formed by combining Ryder and Hickman — was born. More than 30 years later Ryman’s 32 villages are home to 10,800 residents in New Zealand and Australia, with another 16 in the pipeline. Kevin said he left the company in good heart. “After 34 years, I’ve decided the time is right to stand down, but I leave knowing that Ryman is in great hands under Gordy’s leadership.” “A company is nothing without people. I’d like to thank the many thousands of residents and their families as well as loyal shareholders who have put their trust in us, along with the great team at Ryman
who have made the company a success.” Kevin was honoured with a standing ovation at Ryman’s June conference, which was attended by his family and one of his closest friends, Mene Mene. Gordon MacLeod touched on what makes a great leader. “Great leaders make you feel good, they make you think you’re capable of more and they push you to achieve more. They’re humble and seek recognition above themselves and they’ve always got your back, and that’s you Kev,” he said. “We know you’ve always got our back as a company and we’re here because of you and we promise to look after this beautiful company you have created for us.”
Gordon MacLeod during his tribute speech to Kevin Hickman. Ryman Times • 9
Weary Dunlop remembered The Melbourne sun smiled upon around 170 people who gathered at the feet of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's memorial statue to mark the great man's 111th birthday. Among them was a vanload of Weary Dunlop Retirement Village residents who made the journey to the St Kilda Rd site to pay their respects. The village residents were one of more than 10 groups to lay a wreath at the memorial during the service, which was organised by the Weary Dunlop Medical Research Foundation. Weary Dunlop was an Australian surgeon renowned for his leadership while held captive by the Japanese on the Thai-Burma Railway during World War 2. He died in 1993, and July 12 marked 111 years since he was born. Among the crowd commemorating his life at his memorial last week was 96-year-old Colin
Hamley, a former Thai-Burma Railway POW who knew Weary well. Colin was joined by his wife, Val, grandson Ben Hamley, and 15-month-old great-granddaughter Isabelle. Weary Dunlop resident Jack Mills, who helped organise the trip to the service, said it was a great opportunity to pay tribute to an outstanding Australian. “The attendance of the village was mentioned [during the service] and it gave us a chance to honour Weary, which I think is an important thing because the village is named after him.” Jack had met Weary, “and he was absolutely worshipped, I can assure you.” He says he plans to organise another delegation from the village to attend next year's service.
Captain Tim Standen (Royal Australian Navy), Colonel Doug Mallett (Australian Army), and Chris Dunstan (Air Force).
Former Thai-Burma Railway POW Colin Hamley proudly wears the medals he received for his service during WW2.
Members of the Australian Defence Force stand guard around Weary Dunlop’s memorial statue. Ryman Times • 10
Ryman Times • 11 Wreaths were laid at the feet of Weary Dunlop’s memorial stature to mark the birthday of the great Australian.
City of Monash Deputy Mayor Cr Shane McClouskey, Ryman Community Relations Team Leader Denise Thompson, Monash Business Awards Chair Rebecca Paterson and Monash Mayor Cr Paul Klisaris.
Ryman triumphs at Monash Business Awards Ryman Healthcare had a huge night at the Monash Business Awards, winning the health category before being announced as the overall business of the year. The awards, presented at a gala dinner at the Huntingdale Golf Cub, recognised the best businesses in the City of Monash across a range of categories. The top prize was presented to Ryman's Community Relations Team Leader Denise Thompson by City of Monash Mayor Paul Klisaris. "I would like to acknowledge our founders, Kevin Hickman and John Ryder, two men who founded Ryman Healthcare for the very best of reasons: to lift the overall standards of aged care and to ensure that there would be a retirement option good enough for Mum," Denise said. "This founding principle still guides all our staff and has resulted in a business with a heart that provides
an environment and care for older Australians that is second to none." Monash Business Awards Committee Chair Rebecca Paterson said: “We selected Ryman Healthcare
because of their commitment to the Monash community as an employer and service deliverer who are positively impacting the elderly and families in Monash.”
Ryman Australia’s staff with Rebecca Paterson (front row second from left) and Paul Klisaris (far right at the back). Ryman Times • 12