Dementia friendly from tip to toe

Ryman Healthcare’s position as a dementia friendly leader has been recognised by Alzheimers NZ with Ryman gaining Dementia Friendly accreditation at all its New Zealand villages.

Ryman is the largest retirement village operator to receive company-wide accreditation under Alzheimers New Zealand’s Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme.

Each of Ryman’s 34 New Zealand villages is now a recognised dementia friendly community. The accreditation acknowledges Ryman’s commitment to provide kind, caring and supportive environments that enhance the lives of residents with dementia.

Ryman's operations clinical and quality manager Karen Lake said the accreditation would inform how the more than 5,700 Ryman staff and 11,600 residents treated one another.

Karen said people often assumed that people affected by dementia did not want others to know of their diagnosis which is not always the case. On another front the COVID-19 lockdown was very challenging for residents living with dementia, as well as their family members who were unable to visit. Karen said Ryman installed Zoom software on more than 850 devices in its dementia care units, so that residents could keep in touch during the lockdown.

During the auditing process, the Alzheimers NZ panel also considered how accessible Ryman’s website was for people with dementia, how dementia friendly practices would be reviewed, and what educational opportunities were available to residents wanting to learn more.

More than 1,400 Ryman staff have also completed Alzheimers NZ’s Dementia Friends module for individuals keen to learn more about dementia.

The programme equipped staff from across the company with knowledge of dementia, and introduced them to ways to support people living with dementia with small gestures of kindness, conversation and assistance. As part of Ryman’s commitment to continually review and develop its care for residents with dementia, all new staff will complete the Dementia Friends module during their inductions.

The Dementia Friendly status follows an in-depth two-year process during which six Ryman villages were audited as a representative sample of the company’s New Zealand villages.

As part of the accreditation process the villages adapted and enhanced everything from the physical environments of villages including the provision of way-finding cues, to educating staff about how to support colleagues working with people affected by dementia.

The accreditation builds on a partnership between Alzheimers NZ and Ryman Healthcare which was developed last year to combat stigma, grow understanding and acceptance of people living with dementia, and inform policy and practice in New Zealand.

Pictured: Ryman office receptionists Billie Bond and Georgia Sherlock.

We’re proud to be Dementia Friendly

Accredited by Alzheimers New Zealand