Category: Latest industry developments

Here is a great idea that you might be able to use if you are in NSW – and think about elsewhere.

The NSW Liberal government late last week launched the Combating Social Isolation for Seniors during COVID-19 Grant Program.

These grants are available to organisations (like villages and operators) to help create programs that foster social inclusion for seniors activities.

The grants must help older people connect with each other through online engagement or other ways,

Example programs could include:

a service provider starting a program of social support calls to isolated seniors (an example would be your emergency call centre doing outbound calls to residents – INS is one supplier that does this)
running regular online conference calls for groups meeting up such as craft, men’s sheds, etc. ‘House Party’ is a popular app for this and you may get funding to drive it
creating an online cafe or carer support group
Even if you’re not based in NSW it is worth doing some research into other grants that may be available for seniors during the pandemic.

A great place to start is obviously google but don’t forget your Local Member is also likely to have information in relation to possible grant options for a program you maybe wanting to get off the ground.

The new Code of Conduct is gathering speed.

Close to 50% of all villages across the country have now started the process of building the Code into their operations. Is yours one?

The Code of Conduct was jointly created by the Retirement Living Council and Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) as an industry initiative to further build retirement villages as responsible corporate and community citizens.

In simple terms, the Code is a statement that retirement villages operate ethically and it has guidelines with checks and balances to support you to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience for residents.

You will find it will make managing your village easier. Word from the field is that residents, especially resident committees, are appreciating the structure the Code brings to operations.

It kicked off on 1 January and villages have 12 months to get the guidelines in place.

Two important steps are ongoing training of village management, which our DCM Institute Professional Development program has been designed to deliver, and a survey of residents every 12 months checking up on very particular areas.

We have just designed this survey for you and it will be released in the next four to eight weeks after we have tested it.

You can learn more about the Code of Conduct HERE.

Where do older Australians want to live? To make their home?

The Global Centre of Modern Ageing (GCMA), a grand name for the research unit at Flinders University in Adelaide, has researched 1000+ people over the age of 55, asking what they want in a home. The answer:

“A place where I am comfortable, safe and stress free. A place where I continue to age independently and to grow culturally and in experience. A place where I want to be.”

Sound familiar?

The research confirmed what we already know:

• We desire to stay at home even if circumstances change or needs increase with age
• We don’t plan for our physical ‘enablement’ to remain at home
• Cost and location were extremely important in the decision to move
• The balance between affordability and needs is a key challenge

And went on to say they had developed a framework known as the House, Home, Haven framework.

This model recognises we require a personalised approach to our individual solutions and we require a solution to have a humancentric approach.

The house provides safety and comfort and for some, is also a financial asset.

Bringing freedom, choice, independence, emotional safety, familiarity and individuality.

A sanctuary entwined with self and complete belonging. A seemingly irreplaceable ‘sense of place’.

It identifies seven distinct needs of older Australians:

Do you find yourself like me shouting “that’s us, pick me, choose a Retirement Village”. It’s obvious isn’t it?

BUT….

25% of the people surveyed felt there was a lack of viable alternatives to living at home.

What the…. no viable alternatives are you kidding?! 

Don’t Retirement Communities provide all of this? 

Clearly we in the sector know this but why doesn’t the wider community?

GCMA went on to say the opportunities for businesses lay in:

1. offering a personalised service and offering

2. being able to offer genuine and honest support

(This what we do as professional Village Managers and genuine people).

3. being able to really communicate the value of the housing option

This requires work by operators – and ourselves.

Our 2020 DCM Institute PD days commence in Brisbane on 2 March, and then roll across the country.

All your surveys asked for more! So, you will see that we have increased the number PD days from three to four this year.

Some of the venues have changed because they couldn’t provide a big enough room. (After just 10 months, we now have 340 Village Managers enrolled).

For instance, we had 120 village managers at the Novotel Darling Harbour in Sydney last November and it was ‘squeezie’, so now we are at the five-star Hilton!

All the programs across each of the states and the speakers have been booked for the year as well.

Check out the program HERE. It’s not too late to join us.

And remember, if you are a Village Manager in NSW and you are a member of the DCM Institute, you, your operator and your village will have ticked the mandated training box for the new regs requiring compliance to the Rules of Conduct that commenced January 1st.

For all states, you will also comply with the voluntary Code of Conduct.

An easy solution plus delivering you great career development.

Hope to see you at a PD in March!

Many of our readers will have met Judy Martin at our DCMI professional development days.

Judy is our Director – Industry Engagement, and she has just been elected to lead the Global Ageing Network (GAN) which represents retirement living and aged care operators in 50 countries. It’s a big deal!

GAN is based in Washington DC. Judy’s fellow board members come from across the globe, including Switzerland, China, Uganda, South Africa, Canada and the USA.

Judy has been leading Australia’s international educational programs for 10 years and visited over 300 of the best villages and aged care homes across the world. She will be making several trips overseas this year, including the UK, Spain and Washington.

She brings us the latest international trends and ideas from across the world.  How lucky are we to have her on our team – and to have an Australian so honoured!

Emergencies have a way of identifying the cracks in the best-laid plans. Fire, floods, cyclones and now viruses!

The events of the last three months are certainly a timely reminder to us all of the emergency management responsibilities we hold as operators of retirement communities.

The start of the year is a great time to step back and review. Are our resources and plans ‘emergency ready’ and up to the level community expects?

Here is a quick checklist of some of the activities and resources you can review:

• Training calendar requirements – first aid, CPR, fire warden, OHS/WHS
• Check first aid kits are in date and fully stocked, plus set up a reminder to check them bi-monthly, or after use, PLUS additional items required – masks, water etc.
• Service/check defibrillators
• Emergency/Fire warden training – for staff and volunteer residents where appropriate
• Test emergency/fire systems and setting up a regular schedule of testing
• Recheck access and egress requirements
• PEEPS – ‘Personal emergency evacuation plans’ should be reviewed for residents needing emergency services assistance and other priorities
• Emergency drill scheduling – how often, how to encourage attendance, appropriate notice of the drill
• Emergency lighting – check exit, solar, torches, battery-powered alternatives
• Review of Emergency procedures – especially focus on limited or no power/internet/phone communications
• Recheck exit accessibility – and alternate route maps
• If the community is not safe to stay, what is the procedure to inform relatives, PLUS how will you communicate once it is safe to re-enter the community?
• Understand and have a plan to use social media/websites in communication, to reach families and others

For some states, like NSW, this style of preparation is mandated – it must be done, and you must register and record all events.

If you have been through an ‘emergency’ and have learnings about reviewing resources and plans, please don’t hesitate to be in touch and I would be only too pleased to share them.

However, on the flip side the exciting news is that with all disruption comes opportunity for reframing and refocus, and we feel confident many operators are well on their way to make the most of these opportunities!

Village Managers will be at the centre. The DCM Institute is thrilled to share we have ended 2019 with over 300 members registered in the Village Management Professional Development program.

This includes private, not for profit and ASX organisations, regional and metro based, large and small.

It demonstrates the sector is responding to the suggestion that the Village Manager and their teams play the most important role in our sector in ensuring the expectations and requirements of both the operator and critically, the resident communities are a priority.

In recognition of this key role Village Professionals play in the sector, DCM Institute has committed to continue to run the ONLY Village Management focused two-day conference in the country – the VILLAGE SUMMIT – for a second year with over 300 delegates in attendance (more on that below).

The sector – via the Property Council – has launched, and will continue to implement throughout later 2020, a Capability Framework that will provide the basis for Village Professionals to map their careers. 

Together, these initiatives send a very clear message to advocacy bodies and government that the sector is investing in these very important professionals to ensure that it attracts and retains a stable workforce that is willing and able to deliver on resident expectations.

It also highlights the many amazing organisations that are committed not only to the sector but the people at the heart of the sector.