Village Most Read Online

Aged Plus Meets Linda Stainton, Homage Care Specialist

Linda Stainton is in aged care because she is passionate about caring for people - she has been a nurse for a long time. An injury prevented Stainton from returning to acute care, hence a move into aged care, where she “absolutely loved it!” Working across acute care, as a school nurse and for multiple nursing agencies has meant a varied depth of knowledge. Working on the floor as a Clinical Care Manager and a Quality Care Manager all shaped her ability to manage support as a Homage Care Specialist. “The people we care for don’t want to sit around being serious all the time, so it is lovely to uncover the care recipients’ sense of humour and have a laugh together. We are sharing the last part of their lives, so get in there, get to know them, and share the joy there.” Read more here. RVA Trial Best Practice Changes

The body representing retirement villages has unveiled voluntary reforms amid calls from consumer and resident groups for a review of the 20-year-old legislation governing the sector. The Retirement Villages Association (RVA), which represents 95 percent of all units in New Zealand, will now require operators to pay interest on the money owed to a former resident if their unit was not resold within nine months. Other key changes include asking operators to stop charging weekly fees once a unit contract is terminated or the resident leaves, providing better support to residents wanting to move into another facility, removing “unfair” clauses from occupation rights agreements and clarifying how chattels were expected to be maintained. The measures would be trialled for 12 months as part of the RVA’s best practice guidelines before being voted on at the organisation’s general meeting next year. Read more here.

New Initiative for Recycling Face Masks

With changes to mask mandates, a new free recycling initiative designed to prevent PPE from entering the waste stream and marine environment has been launched to help address barriers to the recycling of used facemasks. The initiative is believed to be the first manufacture-to-end-oflife recycling programme for masks in New Zealand. Most disposable facemasks used in New Zealand are made from polypropylene, a form of plastic known as #5 in the recycling scheme. Despite increasing demand from NZ manufacturers, recycled polypropylene is still being sent offshore or to local landfills. Under the initiative, households and businesses can request a free postagepaid courier bag to be delivered to them, which they can then fill with used facemasks of any brand or material. Read more here.

Introducing Ryman’s Dedicated Menu Design Panel

Reconfiguring menus with new entrees, mains and desserts is a foodie challenge laid down for Ryman’s gourmet experts who are reconfiguring their menus to excite and satisfy a wide range of residents. The construction of recipes is becoming more rigorous and the menus more sophisticated. Seasonal Ryman Delicious menus – reflecting winter, spring, summer, and autumn – are being drawn up with the help of the ‘menu design panel’. This dedicated panel is led by Matt Orr (Food Systems and Development Chef) and includes regional lead chefs, village chefs and resident tasting teams. As part of the recipe and menu design process, ‘resident focus groups’ taste and test new meal choices. Read more here.

Team Delivers the Best in Aged Care

The one thing that the management team at Ryman Healthcare’s Hilda Ross Retirement Village have in common is a passion for delivering the best in aged care. Two of the team, Assistant Manager Sue Wickham, and Facilities Manager Vicki Webb, have notched up nearly 20 years each and still get a buzz from seeing their residents happy. “It’s important to remember that our residents were like you or me, and now they’re here to live the rest of their lives to the best of their ability, and our role is to facilitate that.” Read more here. Summerset Purchase First Site in Rotorua

Summerset Group has strengthened its portfolio with the purchase of two new properties in New Zealand. The acquisitions are in Masterton (Wairarapa) and Rotorua Bay (Bay of Plenty). The announcement comes as the company released its half-year result showing an underlying profit of $82.5 million, up 9.2 percent on the same period last year. Summerset Chief Executive Scott Scoullar said it is pleasing to be able to strengthen our portfolio and secure these key sites in high demand locations. Read more here.

RSL LifeCare Welcomes New CEO

Leading aged care and veteran services organisation, RSL LifeCare has welcomed a new CEO, appointing experienced and entrepreneurial business leader Janet Muir. Muir joins RSL LifeCare having spent her career to date in senior roles across human services and healthcare sectors. “This is an incredibly important time to continue to deliver a high level of care for our seniors and veterans and I’m delighted that Janet has accepted the opportunity to be part of the RSL LifeCare team.” Read more here.