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CELEBRATING

YEARS 2 Ryman Times A note from Simon

Hello everyone and welcome to and hospitality systems. Both of these initiatives are our bumper Christmas edition. It all about improving the resident experience. is hard to believe another year has disappeared on us. If you think this year was busy, just wait for next. As well as doing a great job every day for our residents As well as the normal news in this we’ve got another nine villages to build and more i’ilissue we’ve included a short version of what could sites to fi nd in Australia. be described as a Brief History of Ryman. It’s the story of two entrepreneurs who had a bright The main theme from the results, from a staffi ng idea which turned into a runaway success. What point of view, was our commitment to continue to strikes me about the story of Kev and John is that invest heavily in staff systems and to make sure you the simple idea in the beginning – to be the best at can focus on residents rather than paperwork. care in the business – holds true today. Everything We’ve made the decision that Melbourne and we’ve learned in the past few years tells us the same thing – if we put residents fi rst in everything we do Auckland will be areas of great future growth for us, then we can’t go far wrong. and that’s where we will look to invest further. There’s plenty of other news from around Rymania. We have a huge amount of potential growth We’ve put in new assessment protocols and new ahead of us and we are making sure we can take clinical management tools. More than 400 of you advantage of it. have already trained on InterRAI, and the feedback has been terrifi c. Finally, thanks to you all for a terrifi c year. I’m incredibly proud of our achievements this year. We Among the highlights in the fi rst half for me were couldn’t do it without a tremendous team, the opening at Weary Dunlop and the huge progress so thanks. we’ve seen at Bruce McLaren. Both villages have far and away exceeded our expectations and are a I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas. Be credit to all those who work in them. kind to each other, and remember to be on the look I’m also really pleased with the results we’ve seen from out for the sequel to our blockbuster Happy video investing more in care and the resident experience. which is in the works as we speak. This includes the launch of Ryman Engage, our Simon Challies activities programme and the investment in laundry Ryman Managing Director

“We’ve made signifi cant progress in the fi rst six months and we’re on target to achieve our medium Ryman on track term target of growing underlying profi ts by 15% for the full year,’’ Dr Kerr said. for 15% growth The fi rst stages of Ryman’s new village in Howick have opened and work will begin soon on a new Ryman has had a bumper fi rst half and is on village at Birkenhead. Detailed planning and track to do well in the full year, the company design work is being carried out on new villages at told its shareholders on November 21. Pukekohe, Greenlane, Lynfi eld and Devonport. Ryman unveiled underlying profi t of $66.3 million Auckland and Melbourne would be a key focus for for the fi rst half – a new record for the company future investment, Dr Kerr said. and up 13% on last year. Ryman had continued to invest heavily in the Chairman Dr David Kerr said the result was driven provision of care and improving the resident by a lift in pricing and strong sales volumes as experience with extra resources going into staff, Ryman’s village portfolio grew. training and systems. Ryman built a record 450 beds and units in the fi rst “As well as building new villages we are working half and the company’s total assets had now passed hard to develop the staff and systems we will need. the $3 billion mark – double the size of the asset There’s a lot of work ahead, but also a terrifi c base four years ago. opportunity for this company,’’ he said. Ryman Times 3

Grand Opening at Weary Dunlop

More than 400 residents and guests celebrated the opening of the Weary Dunlop Retirement Village in Melbourne on August 22. The village was offi cially opened by John Dunlop – Weary’s son – and City of Monash Mayor Geoff Lake. Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop was an Australian war hero, surgeon and former Wallaby. His son John said the naming was a great honour for the family. “I reckon he’d be proud. It is like the spirit of the old man is in the place already,’’ he said. “His attitude was that he would do anything he could to help people, particularly if they were from an ex-service background. “After the war, he committed himself to their ongoing care and management’’. “(The village) is therefore pretty much in keeping with what he would have wanted. I think if he’d been approached by Ryman he would have agreed.’’ The $150 million village is Ryman’s fi rst in Melbourne and took 18 months to build. It will eventually be home to more than 400 residents. Cr Lake said he was pleased Ryman chose Monash as its home in Melbourne and had bought a second site in the area. Like Russell Crowe, Pavlova and Phar Lap it wouldn’t be long before Ryman became Australian, he joked. “We’re defi nitely keen to claim Ryman as an Australian company,’’ he said. Cr Lake said places like the Weary Dunlop Retirement Village give Monash’s older residents the opportunity to downsize while still living in the community they love. “Many of our residents have lived in this part of Melbourne for 30-plus years. They want to stay living here in their older years,” Cr Lake said. Ryman Healthcare chairman Dr David Kerr said it was an honour to name the village after Weary Dunlop. “He was a courageous, compassionate and an inspirational man. As a doctor his dedication to caring for his patients was exceptional. We’re incredibly proud to be naming our fi rst village in Melbourne in his honour.’’ Photo: John Dunlop at the opening. 4 Ryman Times

The detective and the accountant: Kevin Hickman (left) and John Ryder.

YEAR NG 30 S CELEBRATI

As Ryman Healthcare turns 30, co-founder Kevin Hickman explains how it all started, and some of the highlights along the way.

In the early 1980s Kevin Hickman – a detective – long term investment and the banks always like to and John Ryder – an accountant – set out to fi nd lend on property – and a strong cash fl ow.’’ themselves the perfect business. In 1983 Kevin was still running his private investigation Kevin was entrepreneurial – he was always on the business when he was called in to investigate a lookout for deals. He also liked to study things, and to resthome fi re. He immediately knew he didn’t like do his homework. what he saw. John Ryder was just as entrepreneurial. He was “The fi re was in an old villa and there were four analytical and superb at systems and accounts. people to a room with all shared toilets. “They were The pair had hit it off a few years earlier when nice people running it and they did a good job in as Kevin had left the police to set up his own private much as they were expected to. investigation business, and needed an accountant. “But to me it was crazy, the standards were so poor. John was recommended by a mutual friend and it But that’s how resthomes were in those days.’’ turned out they were born in the same Westport Kevin thought about his mum. He’d never in his wildest hospital. Together they’d also worked out they made a dreams want to put her into a place like that if she had formidable combination. to go into care. He had a few basic ground rules. Care Their fi rst venture was a backpackers business on had to be better than anywhere else. Residents had to Latimer Square which they’d bought into with have a room of their own and an ensuite. $10,000 in capital – $5000 each. “I thought, what would I want for mum? I’d want a It was an old YWCA which they converted into a single room, with an attached ensuite. Not a shared backpackers. They brought some young staff in to run ensuite, because that creates enormous problems.’’ it, and operated a free transfer service from the airport to pick up travellers as they got off the plane. They He talked to John about what he’d found. It turned turned the hostel from a loss-maker into a money- out they’d found their perfect business idea. All they spinner in a year. needed was a property to buy. Soon they were looking for another idea. They didn’t They soon found one, a block of 14 two bedroom fl ats have a lot of capital but they were on the lookout for on River Rd in Richmond, Christchurch, which they something special. fi gured could be converted into their fi rst resthome. “I’d been talking to John and we’d been planning They had virtually no capital but they had a vendor who how to fi nd the perfect business,’’ Kevin says. “It had was willing to sell them the property with them repaying to combine residential property – because it is a good his remaining share at an 11 per cent interest rate. Ryman Times 5

He was willing to give the detective and accountant a This approach has served Ryman well and is the main go, and it was enough to get a start. reason why 30 years later it still has a loyal band of And with that Ryman – formed out of the combination sub-contractors and suppliers. of Ryder and Hickman – was born. “We found that paying on time doesn’t usually They renamed the resthome Riverside, the cashfl ow happen in development. Developers usually string started to come in, and they were soon in the market things out on credit to protect their cashfl ows.’’ for a second property. Kevin and John believed in speed. Kevin noted that in Soon after Kevin spotted a motel complex up for sale Canada projects had to be built in six months because on Woodcote Ave in Hornby. of the weather. “Because we didn’t have much dough I lived there at “If you can get something done in six months it makes the time while we rebuilt it. I needed to squeeze every an enormous difference to your cashfl ow.’’ drop of cashfl ow as we could out of it while we were “Every building can be done in six months. It’s just a converting it.’’ matter of organisation. Builders hate it, but you can do it.’’ As well as building the Ryman stable they kept on “Once you get them on site don’t let them off.’’ accumulating other businesses. Bon Brushes, Ben Rumble Communications, Athol “We’d both say, I think, that we McCully garden Centres were some of the businesses they bought into and sold, but Ryman became the would have been successful mainstay of the partnership. on our own, but nowhere as Kevin says the partnership worked because they had successful as we were together.’’ complementary skills. “We’d both say, I think, that we would have been successful on our own, but nowhere as successful as By now the Ryman model was well established. Buy we were together.’’ “We soaked up ideas, we were the right site in good established suburbs, use working always looking for better ways to do things. We just capital to build the fi rst stage of the village, sell that, hit it off.’’ and use the capital from those sales to fund the next part, and then build a care wing. They liked to brainstorm and worked hard. They believed in reinvesting to grow the company. “I am a researcher. I do whatever I need to do to get At least half of the profi ts were reinvested to lay the to the bottom of things. John was the guy who could foundations for future earnings, and the value of the sit down at the weekend and do spreadsheets for investment was always compounding. miles and could budget. We’d sit down and budget and build spreadsheets and get it 98 per cent right.’’ The Ryman recipe was to buy, plan, design, build, market, sell and then operate the entire village using Kevin remembers paying interest rates at 18 per cent home-grown staff trained in Ryman systems. on the early debt and it money was always tight. Frances Hodgkins was built in Dunedin 1994, Rowena “I drove a little Suzuki van and John had a wee Ford Jackson in Invercargill 1996 and Malvina Major was Escort. We didn’t spend money on fl ash cars in those the fi rst venture into the North Island in 1998. days.’’ We’d support each other. When you’ve got no money, it is good having someone sharing the pain. Kevin says each village brought different challenges in terms of sites and construction methods, and lessons Beckenham Courts was built in 1990 and a bigger test were being learned all the time. came in 1993 when Kevin Hickman spotted what he thought lookedoked liklikee a ggoodood opportunopportunityity iinn RiRiccarton.ccarton. Shell Oil ownedwned a terrifi c stretch of land that fronted onto Riccartonrton Rd, but couldn’t ggetet planninplanningg permission to build a petrol station on the front. Shell was really oonlynly interested in a small section of the land, and KKevinevin had a gogoodod idea about what to puputt on the backk – a retirement village.village. While cash mamayy have been titight,ght, the ggoldenolden rule from the start wasas to paypay creditors on time, the 20th of each month.h. “We alwayss pay subbies and suppliers on time. Exceptpt if thetheyy don’t perform on time, thenen thetheyy ggetet performancece papaid.’’id.’’

Photo: Kevin and Joanna Hickman, at the opening of Edmund Hillary village. 6 Ryman Times

Photo: Head offi ce team 2006

He was always researching and no break overseas was slogan: “You deserve it.’’ complete without a little bit of a look around. Another lesson was that once the villages were built, Joanna Hickman describes what happened when they there was huge value in getting people in to have a look. landed at a holiday destination. “The fi rst thing he’d do “People are suspicious. We worked on getting people when we got anywhere on holiday was get the Yellow into the villages with wine and cheese evenings, art Pages out and look up retirement villages. We’d hire a shows, antique road shows.’’ car and drive around retirement villages for the fi rst day. That’s okay though, that’s what you did.’’ “No one talks about buying anything at that stage. Generally they fi nd someone they know and they sell From his overseas trips Kevin became interested in it them.’’ adding more resort-style features. Another lesson was that retirees were often delighted “We were always trying to do something that to be asked to visit. “We realised that when you get to was better than people expected, to surpass their 70 no one asks you anywhere any more. It is like your expectations,’’ he says. generation has moved on.’’ “Life – generally - is a slow grind. What we tried to do Getting planning permission from different councils was always look to exceed our residents’ expectations for what was a new concept to New Zealand was and make it the best period of their lives.’’ always tricky, and there were plenty of planning “For some it is the fi rst time they’d lived in a new battles along the way. house in their lives.’’ And each village opening tended to bring a bit of stress. Kevin recalls running around shutting doors to keep offi cial delegations from going down unfi nished corridors. “It was a bit like Fawlty Towers. The rule at openings was keep your hands in your pockets and don’t touch anything, the paint could still be wet.’’ Another golden rule was to put faith in staff, and he believed in bringing young and talented people through the ranks to top roles, rather than hiring in outsiders. “You get lifted up by the people you employ. Or you get dropped pretty quickly.’’ Photo: Edmund Hillary Retirement Village

Building Frances Hodgkins in Dunedin taught the team a lot about marketing. “For some it is the first time they’d lived in a new house in their lives.’’ In Dunedin the team found selling new homes to widowed retirees, who had grown up in the Depression and had a frugal Scottish approach to life, Staff had to have the Ryman way of working in their could be hard work. DNA. They became the Rymanians. “I’m a great They felt they couldn’t justify living somewhere so believer in training your own staff. This whole idea of nice. They could easily afford it if they sold their advertising and bringing someone new in to run riot freehold homes in established suburbs, but living is just a disaster.’’ somewhere with a terrifi c view out over St Clair didn’t Kevin calls the current management team the Ryman sit well with them. kids, and that is pretty much what they were when “We had to change our approach. We used the they started. Ryman Times 7

Sales manager Debbie McClure started out as a village Napier’s Princess Alexandra followed next in 2004, administrator in 1990, operations manager Barbara and Jane Winstone in Wanganui in 2006 as Ryman Reynen-Rose was a young nurse manager at Glamis in grew steadily. Dunedin when she was hired in 1992. It is probably fi tting that Kevin Hickman’s Mount Property and Purchasing manager Philip Mealings Everest is Ryman’s biggest village, Edmund Hillary in joined from another Ryder-Hickman business – Ben Remuera. He picked an enormous site – 27 acres in all Rumble Communications – in 2000. Taylor Allison – for Ryman’s second village in Auckland. joined as head of design the same year. It opened in 2007 in what was a landmark year for Simon Challies was 29 when he joined as chief Ryman. Two other large villages – Julia Wallace in fi nancial offi cer, and only 36 when he was selected to Palmerston North and Anthony Wilding in Christchurch. take over from Kevin. Edmund Hillary was built along the lines of a resort in Back to 1999. By then Ryman had six villages and America. It was the size, the complexity and a tough big growth ambitions. Ngai Tahu and Direct Capital consenting battle that made it his Everest. Partners had invested in the company in mid-1996 and “Ed Hillary just about killed me. It got more and more the time had come to look for other sources of capital. diffi cult all the time.’’ John Ryder had always been keen to list. Joining the That said, he’s incredibly fond of the village. stock exchange would bring new capital to build new “When I left I said here it is. I’ve given you my best villages and the ability to raise more to expand. one. Look after it.’’ It also allowed John and Kevin to get some reward for It was around 2006 that Kevin says he was feeling their 15 years of risk-taking and hard work. burned out. He’d deliberately been setting things up to carry on without him as managing director.“I got Simon to take over the management meetings. I sat “Another golden rule was to put in for the fi rst couple. Then I’d sit in for fi ve minutes. faith in staff, and he believed in That went on for about 18 months.’’ bringing young and talented people Then one Monday morning Kevin decided he’d had through the ranks to top roles, rather enough. “I woke one morning and said to Jo: ‘I’m than hiring in outsiders.’’ sick of getting up at 6am. If it’s raining I want to stay in bed till 9. I think I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to do something else. The kids are doing fi ne. They don’t need me anymore. And they can ring Kevin says he wasn’t keen on listing because he didn’t me if they need me’.’’ like the idea of the publicity it would bring. He was essentially an introvert, while John enjoyed taking He hasn’t retired. He is still a Ryman non-executive more of a chairman’s role. director and shareholder. He has property investments, but his main love is horse breeding. “I didn’t like the public side of listing. John convinced me. Earnings in those days were lumpy and if you His mare Silent Achiever won the Ranvet Stakes disappoint you can suffer for three years. He soon earlier this year and is rated as the best gallopers in won me over with a few numbers.’’ Australasia at the moment. The fl oat did not go smoothly. In fact it nearly Thirty years ago he set out to fi nd the perfect didn’t happen. The New Zealand institutions weren’t business. Now he’s looking for the perfect galloper. interested in the ambitious little retirement village “I’m interested in the unsolvable puzzle of breeding company from down south and Merrill Lynch head the ultimate race horse. I think I’ve got close with offi ce in Australia tried to pull the pin to protect its Silent Achiever, she’s something special.’’ reputation as lead manager. Photo: Ryman Kids: Simon Challies and Debbie McClure Luckily a backer at Merrill Lynch in Auckland believed in the Ryman story, ignored the edict from head offi ce to pull out, and pressed ahead with the fl oat regardless. Ryman listed on 29 June 1999, raising $25 million. The company was valued at $135 million and the new capital raised went into new villages, with Ngaio Marsh opening in Christchurch the same year. Today Ryman is worth close to $4 billion and has paid back more than $380 million in dividends. More than $1.3 billion has been invested in new villages since listing. In the early 2000s the villages kept getting steadily bigger and the North Island became a focus. Shona McFarlane opened in Lower Hutt in 2000, Rita Angus opened in 2001, Grace Joel was built in St Heliers in 2002, Hilda Ross opened in Hamilton the same year. 8 Ryman Times

Rita Angus on the airwaves

Rita Angus Retirement Village and its local “It’s a great way to make our villagers feel that they student radio station have teamed up for a are part of the community and for them to get the unique broadcasting venture. music they like on air,’’ she said. The village in Kilbirnie is just down the road from “We’re really pleased with the partnership and it Lyall Bay School and the pair have combined for a could lead to other ventures. They’re great kids, new show on the school’s station, Maranui FM. they’re real professionals on air and I’ve got my car The village is sponsoring the Rita Angus Hour – a radio tuned to Maranui FM.’’ two day a week show dedicated to the residents of Rita Angus and their memories. Maranui FM was set up in 2008 and broadcasts in Kilbirnie and can be streamed over the internet. The residents can make requests and will be interviewed as part of the show. The student announcing team for the Rita Angus Two students on the project team approached hour includes Anita, Elisabeth Matsis, Grace Bennett, the village for a deal, and it took a few months of Oliver Brown, Luke Kuggeleijn and Asha Pulepule. negotiations with head offi ce in Christchurch before Lyall Bay deputy principal Clint Chalmers said the a deal could be agreed. pupils had learned some great skills throughout Student Anita Pownall said they were excited and a the project. bit nervous ahead of the fi rst show. “They’ve been sending business emails, researching “We’ve been working a long time getting everything the business case and they had to write a business ready for this day. We have had to prepare business plans, record adverts, create posters, fl yers and proposal as well. It has been a great experience for newsletters and brush up on our announcing skills.’’ them all.’’ Rita Angus sales advisor Margot Boock launched the Photo: Elisabeth Matsis, Margot Boock, Oliver Brown fi rst show with the students. and Asha Pulepule. Ryman Times 9 Kiri Te Kanawa under new management

Two new faces have taken over the reins at movie theatre and a library. It also offers a full range Kiri Te Kanawa Retirement Village. of care up to dementia and hospital level care. Neville Parkinson has taken over as village manager, Jenny has worked in aged care for most of her and Jenny Wood has joined the management team as nursing career and for Ryman Healthcare for six years. clinical manager. She had worked as a registered nurse and then a care centre co-ordinator in Christchurch’s Ngaio Marsh Jenny worked at Gisborne Hospital as a new graduate village, before being seconded to help out at nurse and recently returned to Gisborne to work Kiri Te Kanawa earlier this year. on secondment at Kiri Te Kanawa. She has now permanently relocated her family from Christchurch She liked the return to Gisborne and working at the after more than 20 years away. village and has been promoted to clinical manager. Neville’s journey was a bit shorter – he has joined the Her fi ve children are enjoying the lifestyle options village after selling his business in town. He grew up Gisborne has to offer and the warmer climate after on a farm at Hexton just a few short paddocks away moving from North Canterbury. from the village. “I can see the farm just over the It is Jenny’s job to oversee the clinical care of all the fences, so it is nice to be here,’’ he says. residents, including those being cared for in a new Neville is perhaps best known in Gisborne as “Neville dementia unit. from Paperplus” (previously Books & More) which he Jenny has a passion for aged care. “You get to know owned and ran for the past 15 years. people and build relationships and you get to do Prior to that he worked at AMP and AXA and has great things. It’s really rewarding. This is much more a commerce degree majoring in accounting and than a hospital to them – it’s their home and that commercial law. He doesn’t consider running a makes it special. You become an extension of their retirement village a big career change. family over time and that means a lot.’’ “I’ve got 30 years of business and management Neville and his wife have raised four children in experience and I was looking for a role that was Gisborne and he has been active in the community challenging and had growth potential. for a long time, chairing Heart of Gisborne and the Gisborne Crime Prevention Camera Trust. “I’ve gone from a big corporate to running my own business and this is a combination of the two. It’s He loves living in Gisborne.“It’s small enough that great to feel the positivity and to see the happy faces everyone knows each other but big enough to get amongst staff and residents” the benefi ts. The climate and the environment are fantastic and it is a great place to bring up kids.’’ “It’s a role that will use all of my business skills as well as my customer relations experience.’’ He said he was proud to show potential residents around the village which includes an indoor pool, bar, 10 Ryman Times

Kicking a goal with new village name

A masterful rugby kicking display was held to ran for more than 20 years, becoming a well-known mark the naming of Ryman’s newest village in fi gure in the local business community. Bob Scott’s honour. He was awarded an MBE in 1995 for his services to sport The new $120 million village in Petone has been and the community. He retired to live on the Coromandel named after the late All Black fullback who made Peninsula and died in 2012 at the age of 91. the area his home. Simon Challies said he was pleased the Scott family Former All Blacks Andy Leslie and Allan Hewson agreed to lend the name to the village. were on hand to mark the event to honour their old “Bob was a terrifi c sportsman and a great New club mate and friend. Zealander. He grew up in tough circumstances, but Andy Leslie was Bob’s business partner for many never let that stop him. He lived an outstanding years. He said it was a great honour for his friend. life, volunteering to serve in World War 2 in Europe, “He was a wonderful rugby player and he gave an playing rugby at the highest level and becoming a awful lot to the Petone community. I think he’d be businessman and local leader.’’ fl attered – it is a lovely honour for him.’’ Bruce Scott, Bob’s son, said the honour would have Allan Hewson – who famously kicked the All Blacks meant a lot to his dad. to victory against the Springboks in 1981 – took some bare-foot shots at goal in Bob’s honour – ignoring arthritis in his toe to land two from two. Bob’s barefoot kicking skills were legendary and an essential part of his story. He was born in Wellington and grew up during the depression in extreme poverty. He became a bare-foot kicker because he could not afford boots. After volunteering to fi ght in World War 2, his sporting talent was soon recognised and he was selected to play for the Kiwi armed forces team. Photo: Allan Hewson lines up a bare-foot kick. After the war he played 17 tests for the All Blacks, “He’d be modest about it but I think he would be and built his reputation as a nimble, attacking proud and pleased.’’ fullback who was able to land kicks from over half way. He is considered one of the fi nest All Blacks Simon Challies and Bob Scott project manager Gary fullbacks ever to play. “Coxie” Cox tested their bare-foot kicking skills as well. Bob ended his rugby career playing for Petone. He For the record Simon landed two from two, while bought a menswear store on Jackson St which he Coxie managed a more modest 50% success rate. Ryman Times 11

New thinking in Dementia unit clinical coordinator Feresh Shaikhzakarya said the refurbishment had been good for residents and their families alike. dementia design Residents can also take part in exercise classes and go for coffees at the village’s café with their carers. at Edmund Hillary Feresh has been a nurse for more than 20 years and loves specialising in dementia care. “I just like them the way they are. They are all individual and we make sure we treat them the way Edmund Hillary Retirement Village has they want to be treated. I always think that when I’m incorporated the latest in design thinking in its older I’d want to be treated this way.’’ refurbished dementia care unit. “In many ways dementia is hardest on their families The Tibet unit at the Remuera retirement village and it is important for them to see their loved ones calm and settled in a great environment.’’ was fi rst opened in 2007 and has been refurbished using a host of new design features including The key to good care is having good routines and interactive walls, theme areas, bright colours and stimulating activities which allow the residents to live home furnishings. in the moment. “One of the residents thinks I’m his personal assistant, An extra outdoor courtyard has been added he’s always handing me fi les to type up.’’ and everything has been designed to make the environment as friendly and calming as possible. Edmund Hillary clinical services manager Annie Tyson said the aim was to combine the new surroundings “It’s about how you design out the challenges of a with a nursing approach that put the resident at the secure environment so that residents can fi nd their heart of the care. way around easily and not feel restricted and locked “We want to make everyone feel at home within a in,’’ Ryman Healthcare operations manager Barbara residential care environment. With surroundings like Reynen-Rose says. this we can minimise any confusion and make them “It looks at the basics – for example how do feel comfortable.’’ residents fi nd the toilet using clues such as words, Annie had a long career in nursing before making symbols or colour?’’ aged care her speciality. Bright lighting, low sound levels and making good “It’s an area where you really can make a difference use of large open areas were among the keys to good to peoples’ lives and you just can’t bottle that.’’ design at Edmund Hillary. The unit is busy as demand for dementia care grows. “If residents are calm and aren’t agitated because Dementia – including Alzheimer’s Disease – is their environment works well for them it makes the considered to be one of New Zealand’s most job of caring for them easier. It means their carer can signifi cant healthcare issues as the population ages. There are currently 262,000 aged 75 plus in New concentrate on working on other things for residents Zealand, which is set to triple over the next 30 years. that make their lives better.’’ Photo: Feresh Shaikhzakarya (left) and Annie Tyson in the newly refurbished Tibet unit. 12 Ryman Times

Graduation day at Shona McFarlane

Lower Hutt retirement village manager One recent graduate is Megan Coffey. She has three Tracey Sprott made a bit of a fuss recently children but wanted to return to the workforce. over a subject close to her heart. She came to work at Shona McFarlane as a work When 13 of Shona McFarlane Retirement Village’s experience student and was offered a job at the end caregivers were about to graduate with their new of her time at the village. Since joining she’s studied qualifi cations, Tracey headed off into town to rent for and passed three caregiver qualifi cations. university graduation gowns to make sure they had the “It’s been a lot of open book study and there’s proper thing to wear at a party to mark the occasion. plenty of help around if you have any questions. I found it interesting to study the theory to back up Tracey left school at 16 to become a caregiver and what I’m doing.’’ has gone on to run two large retirement villages for Ryman Healthcare – New Zealand’s biggest Megan qualifi ed for an NCEA Level 3 certifi cate in retirement village operator. Support of the Elder Person once she completed Health Ed Trust Aged Care Education (Ace) Ace She puts her career success down to grabbing every Advanced and Ace Dementia courses. opportunity – and qualifi cation – that came her way. She encourages other staff to do the same. She has now signed on for a diversion therapy course to add to her skills. After leaving school early Tracey completed a “I love working in care. I can’t see myself doing Salvation Army-run course which included the basics anything else – Tracey’s stuck with me.’’ of caregiving. She went for work experience at a Lower Hutt resthome and never looked back. The 12 other Shona McFarlane graduates completed a range of courses from caregiving through to “I realised I loved working in the sector so dementia care alongside her. every time there was a chance of taking extra responsibility or doing extra training I jumped at it. I It is compulsory for all Ryman Healthcare caregivers to complete an Ace course, which is a basic took every opportunity to study or to take on extra introduction to caregiving. responsibility that came my way.’’ Ryman’s staff are encouraged to further their studies “I tell all our caregivers to do the same thing. I’ve set by linking pay to qualifi cations and experience. a goal of having everyone in training or qualifi ed this year. The best thing about training is the recognition Ryman also offers study scholarships for caregivers you get – that’s why we make a big deal out of the wanting to become registered nurses. graduation ceremony.’’ Photo: Tracey Sprott with Megan Coffey

Ryman Healthcare Ltd PO Box 771, Christchurch Airport Business Park, 92 Russley Road, Christchurch • Phone 03 366 4069