RVA NEWS MONITOR No.33 - July 9, 2009
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Manager of the Year applications at an all time highApplications for the RVA Manager of the Year Award (MOTY) have now closed with the largest number of applications received since the award was first established in 2004. Project Coordinator Shae Baxter said the RVA received 57 applications from around the country with a large influx coming in toward the end of June. “Interest in the MOTY is getting stronger every year and this year we’ve received 13 more applications than we had in 2008,” Ms Baxter said. She attributed the increase in interest to the work carried out by RVA regional managers promoting the awards and the incentives offered by sponsors. “The awards have always been a great way to recognise the good work carried out by village managers, but there were also some great prizes on offer this year. “Regional winners receive some strong promotions for their village and the national winner receives a fantastic gold class trip on The Ghan railway between Darwin and Adelaide,” she said. Candidates for the Manager of the Year Award are nominated by village residents, village operators and colleagues. “Once a manager is nominated they are required to submit an application to be in the running for an award. “The quality of the applications has been amazing and there is clearly a lot of hard work put into them. “I think it will be difficult for the judges as there are just so many dedicated village managers out there,” Ms Baxter said. The regional awards are announced at RVA regional conferences in late July and early August with the exception of South Australia and Northern Territory who will hold a separate function to name their winner. The RVA 2009 Manager of the Year Award’s major sponsor is Programmed Property Services and the media sponsor is the Australian Senior.top of page
Remembering an industry pioneerThis month the Retirement Village Industry morns the loss of Tony Baldwin described by Bill Riddington as a true visionary of the industry. Read the Eulogy here
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top of pageRVA people in profile
This week we meet RVA Regional Manager for Western Australia, Linda Smith. Linda is originally from South Africa, but has spent the last 14 years working in the United States. Linda and her husband recently moved to Perth and she joined the RVA earlier this year. How did you get involved in the RV Industry? I was a PR/Marketing and office manager by profession. My husband and I moved across continents from the US to Australia and upon settling in Perth I applied for the position of Regional Manager WA. What does the role involve on a daily basis? The answer to this question is very broad because there’s so much to do and no two days are the same. A typical week for me involves addressing questions or concerns from members and residents. I also work on membership development, meetings and organising workshops just to name a few things. What is of particular interest to you within the industry in WA? Investing time in the community is a great way to give back to those who have helped support the RVA. I really enjoy the intangible benefit of giving. For me, it gives a feeling of being connected and the satisfaction of at least trying and making a difference. What has got you excited at the moment within the Industry in WA? I am very excited about our regional conference and this is a good opportunity for me to give it a bit of a plug. The RVA Western Australian Regional Conference 7 August 2009. This is a professional conference focusing on issues facing the Retirement Industry, with a focus on “The Way Forward”. Delegates will not only raise their understanding of how to engage their village, they will also come out with a new inspiration for their business or village and useful contacts for the future. Seats are limited and anyone interested can contact me on: linda@rva.com.au or (08) 9322 9909 to register. How can the RVA assist in growing the industry? Growing our industry involves careful planning, hard work and a nurturing spirit. It is also important to stress to potential members the role the RVA fulfills in the retirement village industry and the benefits they can reap by becoming a RVA member. Where do you see the industry heading in the short, medium and long term in WA? This is a challenging time for the retirement village industry and we must all learn how to manage during periods of vitality. That said, with the appointment of the new RVA CEO, Andrew Giles, I foresee that the Association will be steered in the right direction with strong leadership and professionalism. I think we’re off to a great start and this will set the trend throughout the industry. What sets the Retirement Village industry in WA apart from other states and territories? Above all, networking with village managers and owners will do more for the RVA than anything else. In WA, I also spend time developing business relationships with other non-members. We also have a dynamic regional committee under the leadership of Chairman Everard Yeo. Our committee members come from wide and diverse areas within the industry and we have two additional committee members from Villagewise and Programmed Property Services that add to our diversity and areas of expertise. Our Committee’s work is often unseen, but it is critical. We have always taken great pride in leading the drive for progress - upholding high standards in the Industry. What do you enjoy (hobbies, sport) that people might find surprised about you. One of the highlights of my life was my cycling trip for 10 days in the hillsides of Tuscany, Italy. It was the ultimate adventure. I enjoy an active lifestyle and this trip really combined health and fitness with mindful and spirit-filled activities and challenging adventures that enlivened, refreshed, and encouraged self-confidence and self-expression. It was just amazing. I was fortunate to have experienced this adventure in the most beautiful place on earth immersed in gorgeous landscapes, and combined a variety of activities that sparked my senses. During that trip I was lucky to take part in inspirational talks, expert instruction by former Olympic triathletes. We also had healthy and delicious meals, combined with yoga, and creative activities to round out each day.
Village in focusCourtlands Village is comprised of modern and well maintained home-like buildings set in magnificently landscaped grounds. Residents of Courtlands Village enjoy independent living in their own homes, with the peace of mind of living in a safe environment. Residents also benefit from the community lifestyle that the village has to offer. We talked to village manager Michael McKenzie to find out a bit more about what Courtlands has to offer and how he works to provide residents with a lifestyle they can appreciate.
What do you feel are the most attractive features about the kind of lifestyle enjoyed at Courtlands? The first thing visitors
comment on are how
beautiful the grounds
and gardens are, we
have 14 fishponds located
in key areas and our
gardeners are always
focusing on improving
the grounds. What were the circumstances that brought you into the retirement village industry and how long have you been working in it? I had been working
in hotel management
for 12 years and needed
a change. Reviewing
all possible career
choices retirement
villages made perfect
sense and the skill
set required was a
very good synergy with
the skills I had gained
from managing hotels.
What have you learned from the residents at your village? What I’ve really learned is patience. Dealing with my residents has been very rewarding, when making decisions you need to ensure that you have thought out the solution thoroughly and you are confident that it is the best answer to the problem. How do you help new residents adjust to life at Courtlands? Meeting new residents in their unit on the fist day is very important to make sure they know how to work things like the air-conditioning and advise them on the nurse call system and even mundane things like rubbish and recycling. A tour is organised with another resident to give them a perspective of the village from a current resident’s view rather than that of a staff member. I also invite new residents along to a couple of activities like a morning tea to help get them started. What have been some of your greatest challenges at Courtlands? Our grounds and gardens look great now but three years ago they were below average. Making some major changes in gardening and maintenance has the village looking better than it has looked in years. Unit sales are always a challenge especially in these tough financial times. We reviewed our refurbishment plan of vacant units and reaped the results in sales straight away. What do you feel are the most attractive features about the kind of lifestyle enjoyed at your village? The sense of community and companionship are definitely very attractive to residents at Courtlands. It is very satisfying watching residents, that may have been isolated in their own homes, settle into village life. I have really enjoyed watching them become social within the village and have a great time. This is where you can see that they are really aware they have made the right decision moving into the village.
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 members
(pic caption) Evergreen provides three and four-bedroom living units. Evergreen Retirement Village currently comprises 76, three and four bedroom living units, with eight stages in development. All dwellings are designed to suit over 55 living. Evergreen understands the need for residents’ privacy and space. Contact:
Rochford
Place Rochford Place is
a new architecturally
designed retirement
community, offering
luxury, privacy and
security. Located in
the heart of Ropes
Crossing, an award-winning
master planned Delfin
community Rochford
Place will feature
a range of two and
three bedroom villas
and two bedroom apartments. Contact: OR:
Harold
Hawthorne Senior
Citizens Centre
and Homes Inc. The Harold Hawthorne Senior Citizens Centre and Homes Inccomprises independent living units and a seniors community centre near Perth. Contact :
Associate members Paynter
Dixon Queensland
Pty Ltd Contact:
Clayton
UTZ Clayton Utz is a top tier law firm that takes a fresh, pragmatic, commercial approach to legal practice that focuses on getting the best results for their diverse and blue-chip client base. Contact :
Incolink 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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Evergreen
Retirement Village