RVA NEWS MONITOR No.32 - June 22, 2009
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RVA APPOINTS NEW CEOThe RVA last week announced the appointment of Andrew Giles as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr Giles will take over his new role at the end of this month and comes to the RVA from MacroPlan Australia where he was Victorian State Director and General Manager of the Communities and Research Group. In a news release announcing the appointment, RVA President Simon Owen said he was extremely excited by the appointment of Mr Giles as CEO. ”Andrew brings with him first-hand knowledge of the retirement village industry through his previous roles. He also has extensive experience with demographic profiling, planning, land and property economics, marketing and government advocacy which will be of tremendous value to the RVA and our membership,” Mr Owen said. Mr Giles said he was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the role of leading the RVA presented. “As the leading voice of the retirement village sector in Australia, the RVA is well poised to promote to government, media, residents and their families, financiers and other key stakeholders the important role that retirement communities will play as the Australian population continues to age over the next 40 years. “Retirement villages are perfectly positioned to provide security, sociability and care to Australia’s increasing population of seniors and play a growing role in addressing future challenges of housing affordability and efficient delivery of in-home care,” Mr Giles said. Read People in Profile for the News Monitor interview with Andrew Giles.
Information sessions set to improve industry knowledgeTwo information sessions, to be held at Pineview Village in Glenside South Australia on Thursday July 23, are set to bust myths and improve sales. Retirement industry consultant Jodie Prosser of Optimum Retirement Services said the information sessions would be valuable for village managers and operators and was free to RVA members. “The first session will be conducted by myself and Julia Sweeney of Fisher Jefferies and will correct some myths around the RVA Act in South Australia,” Ms Prosser said. RVA regional manager for South Australia Sandra Carle said feedback from South Australian members indicated there was a demand for sessions that covered the main components of the Act and sales. “Both sessions will respond to a need presented by our members and as they are both interactive it should make for a very productive and informative day,” Ms Carle said. The second session is entitled “The DMF and how do we sell it” and will explain the history of the DMF in privately operated villages, why there is a DMF and benefits of the DMF. “There’s a lot of information in this session and we’ll be discussing topics like what documentation does a depositor have to get, how long do we have to return a deposit refund and how to best deal with variations,” Ms Prosser said. The sessions are sponsored by Village Wise and session one begins at 9.15am with morning tea provided followed by session two at 10.30am. Further information can be obtained by contacting Sandra Carle on (08) 83384500. top of pageA sad passing
It is with sadness that the RVA reports the passing of Lend Lease Prime Life Compliance Manager Barbara Grant. Ms Grant passed way on Wednesday 10 June after a long battle with cancer. RVA Regional Manager for Victoria and Tasmania, Sue Nicholas, said Ms Grant was a valued and well liked member of industry committees and respected for her skills and knowledge. “Barbara will be missed by those who worked with her on the National Accreditation Committee and the Victoria and Tasmanian Regional Committee. “Her passing has been very sad and came as a shock to those of us who worked with her and enjoyed her input and friendship,” Ms Nicholas said. RVA Standards Manager, Gary Medcalf, said Ms Grant’s contributions were especially appreciated as her work on the committees was on a voluntary basis. “There’s no doubt that Barbara put in a lot of work in her own time. She was very dedicated and she knew her business. “She made very rational contributions, especially concerning compliance issues and she certainly had the respect of all of us on the committee,” Mr Medcalf said. Ms Grant’s funeral was held last week in Melbourne and her ashes were returned to her home city of Cairns.
RVA people in profileThis week we meet the new RVA CEO Andrew Giles who is set to begin work at the National office in Melbourne at the end of the month.
Can you give us a short background on your career and how it developed? My career began in a small consulting firm mainly working with local government in planning community facilities. I then had a stint in local government before starting a consulting practice, Agile Consultants, which operated for over six years. I joined MacroPlan Australia in 2004 and since that time the firm has grown to be a nationally recognised practice specialising in commercial and strategic advice to the property sector and local government. Over the four and a half years I have managed the property research and communities areas of the business and for the past two years have looked after the Victorian branch of the organisation with a staff of over 30 consultants. A growing aspect of the practice, in which I took a keen interest, was in undertaking national research into ageing and the impacts on the retirement village industry and aged care. What was it that drew you to taking on a leadership role in the retirement village industry? I have had the opportunity to work with the RVA for the past four years and in that time saw an enormous scope to create inspiring communities for older Australians. It was difficult not to have great admiration for the members and their day to day efforts to create wonderful places for retirees to live, socialise and grow. This is critical for sustainable communities to occur. With the population over 55 about to double in the next 20 years retirement villages are poised to be one of the most significant growth markets in the property sector. The RVA is in a great place to steer a responsive industry approach to meet the needs of pre retirees and retirees. What specific challenges do you see facing the industry in the short term? The global financial crisis has clearly had an impact on us all. The retirement village industry has also been affected, in line with the rest of the property industry. Obviously consumer confidence is low and people are more cautious about major life decisions. That said, the demand for retirement living options is definitely not going away which means there is a great likelihood of significant pent up demand over the next few years if new villages do not come on line. What do you feel you will bring to the RVA that may be of benefit from your work with Macroplan? I hope that my background in research will add depth to the information that the RVA can provide to the industry. Up to date and relevant information is the key to effective businesses in today’s market. In addition, I am passionate about enhancing businesses. This means growing people and providing the utmost customer service for the organisation to thrive. In that vein I hope to work with staff and the Board to understand our members’ needs and deliver great value. Where do you see the retirement village industry in regards to solutions to Australia’s ageing population challenges? As an indicator of demand there is going to be an additional 2 million retirees in Australia (people 65 plus) in the next fifteen years. This is a massive challenge for our community. At the same time our dependency ratio (that is number of tax payers to those retired goes from around 5 to 2.5 (thanks MacroPlan!). This will bring great pressure on our health system and mean many people will need to be cared for in home. As such, retirement villages will be an even more attractive proposition for many people as they come to understand what they can offer in supported living. On the most conservative numbers this may mean an additional 100,000 people that will move into retirement villages or another 850 villages, based on analysis that I have done in my time at MacroPlan. This is massive growth. How do you see the industry faring over the next ten years? I look forward to the next ten years as the Retirement Village industry continues to grow and evolve and responds to the needs of our ageing community. Already we have seen the village design, funding options and service provision change to meet a dynamic market but the industry cannot rest. We need to be constantly seeking new innovations to provide better living outcomes for our community. This means listening intently to their needs and responding. Based on the operators I have met already, I know the industry is in good hands.
Village in focusRylands of Hawthorn According to company philosophy, Rylands is in the business of developing, building and managing homes for older people. Their success is based on a simple core philosophy: ageing with independence. Rylands aims to provide the right housing, in the right location and according to their website: “We provide more than buildings. We support our residents with the right level of care. We don’t overdo it. The care we provide is restrained, unobtrusive, a reassuring presence, providing all the services you need to live your life to the full. In a nutshell it is our mission to empower older people to remain independent.” This week we meet Rylands of Hawthorn manager Anne Hulls who discusses her role and what makes her community happy, healthy and active.
Rylands of
Hawthorn recently
celebrated its first
birthday, in that
time what kind of
a community has developed
there? How did the
community at Rylands
of Hawthorn celebrate
the anniversary and
what activities did
you arrange to make
it a special event? How did you
become involved in
the retirement village
industry? I’m a chef by trade but I’ve done everything from cooking in a modest little RSL kitchen in Elwood, to feeding Princess Diana and Henry Kissinger in London. I have also managed my own businesses, as well as businesses belonging to other people. This job enables me to utilise all the skills I’ve learned over the years and as anyone who’s been in it knows it’s predominately about people. This is about helping to make people comfortable and happy in their retirement years. Have you managed
villages as new as
Rylands of Hawthorn? I can remember one day early on. I had six new residents move in on the same day. Can you imagine six removalist vans arriving all at once? It was a logistics nightmare but we all got through it and lived to tell the tale. What do you
feel are the most
attractive features
about the kind of
lifestyle enjoyed
at your village? Social drinks at the bar on Friday evenings, is very popular with the residents, as it gives them a chance to catch up with one another and discuss the week that was. I had a comment from one of my residents the other day, who is a recent widower. He said he had made many beautiful friends in the 10 months or so that he had lived here. I think that is true to say of many people here. At Rylands of Hawthorn the staff are wonderful, which adds to the warm ambiance. Another great feature is that our chef and second chef love what they do, and this reflects in the great food here in our bistro, which is open five days a week. We also have a serious coffee culture here as well. Residents love to come down for their latte or cappuccino, read the paper or have a chat with a friend. What have
you learned from
the residents at
your village? They’ve also taught me to laugh out loud a lot and that with age comes wisdom. Some of the residents here are truly inspirational. I have people here in their 70’s and 80’s who are rarely here, because they are so busy being out and about living their lives. What have been
some of your greatest
challenges at Rylands
of Hawthorn?
Welcome our newest membersThe RVA is proud to welcome our newest members, however, that doesn’t mean we’re forgetting our existing members. Please contact our communications manager Chip Henriss chip@rva.com.au to submit your people in profile, new appointments or opinion piece. Village member
Rochford
Place Further information available here Contact:
Upcoming EventsFurther details and contact information can be found on our Events Calendar.
RVA Web Page members’ area and blog The new RVA members’ area and blog are live and ready to go. The members’ area features content exclusively for RVA members’ including; conference and seminar notes and accreditation documents. The RVA Blog is a space where members can discuss current issues surrounding the retirement village industry. We hope that you take part by sharing your opinions, ideas and information.
For further information or to make comment on the above items, please email communications@rva.com.auThe RVA News Monitor is a weekly feature on the RVA website, and will provide updated stories on issues involving the retirement village industry. The RVA welcomes story or issue ideas to be included in the News Monitor, or comments or opinions on stories featured. |
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