Knowledge Centre

Month: December 2022

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Christmas Rocky Road (No Nuts)

If you want a quick festive treat everyone will love, look no further than this adorable Christmas Rocky Road. Truly the fastest nut and gluten free receipe to pull together, once decorated, it’s a real holiday showstopper!

PREP TIME 15 mins

CHILLING     2 hrs

SERVINGS    16

CALORIES    305 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

  • 2 cups Semisweet (Dark) Chocolate – chopped or chips
  • 1 stick Butter
  • ¼ cup Golden Syrup – or Light Corn Syrup
  • 6 oz Gluten Free Graham Crackers or Digestive Biscuits – around 2 cups when broken up
  • ½ cup Golden Raisins
  • ½ cup Glace Cherries – halved or raspberry lollies
  • 2 cups Mini Marshmallows
  • 2 tbsp  Icing Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan heat the chocolate, butter and syrup together over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
  3. Put the graham crackers/digestives into a freezer bag and bash them into small sized pieces.
  4. Take the pan off the heat. Add the cracker pieces, raisins and cherries (or raspberries) into the chocolate mixture, stirring well to make sure everything is coated properly.
  5. Add the mini marshmallows and gently stir in so they are coated too.
  6. Tip into the lined pan and smooth with a palate knife – it’s fine for it to look a bit lumpy and bumpy – its rocky road!
  7. Refrigerate until its completely set – at least 2 hours.
  8. Take out and cut into pieces with a sharp knife. I cut mine into    slightly different shapes and sizes as it adds to the rocky road effect!
  9. Pile on to a plate and dust with icing sugar just before serving.

The easiest way to do this is to push the sugar through a small sieve with a spoon.

  1. Decorate with Christmas figures.

NUTRITION

Calories: 305kcal Carbohydrates: 37g Protein: 2g Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 22mg Sodium: 94mg Potassium: 161mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 25g Vitamin A: 188IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 24mg Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be taken as an estimate rather than a guarantee.

Source: nigella.com

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Key things to help you everyday Latest industry developments

Retirement leaders confident about the future, survey says

DCM has surveyed 40 of the most dynamic and interesting retirement living and aged care industry leaders about their outlook for 2023.

Retirement living operators are focussing on developing new and innovative models of care that deliver baby boomers more dynamic and flexible retirement living options. Nearly than half of those who responded (46%) said they will be investing in co-located/continuum of care retirement living models.

CONTINUE READING

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Reporting Results Village Operator

Exercise is Medicine

Image:  HUR Australia 
Image:  HUR Australia 

While the importance of exercise as we age has been well documented and discussed. Over the past few years, we have seen the conversation shifted from being reactive with care to being proactive in wellness.

Last edition, we wrote about the role of nutrition in maintaining wellbeing as we age. Poor nutrition coupled with insufficient and excess sedentary behaviours are potent risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, obesity, sarcopenia, frailty, and disability, among other chronic diseases associated with ageing.

This week we thought we’d share research which doesn’t just talk to the role exercise plays in maintaining quality of life as we age, but provides guidelines of what physical activity and exercise looks like for older adults.

The Expert Consensus Guidelines, published in 2021, recommends that older adults should include at least 30 minutes of daily endurance exercise in bouts of 10 minutes, with a total 150 – 300 minutes of weekly activity. The paper recommends progressive resistance training at least twice a week, with balance and flexibility exercises also to be included.

Interestingly, combining these types of training with simple physical activity such as Tai Chi or dance programs have been shown to reduce falls in older adults.

“Exercise is medicine”, the research paper concludes, ending with the final note that one of the main challenges for the future is for exercise to become as a mandatory part of someone’s care plan as the age.

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Village Operator

Professional Development the Key to Improving Culture and Staff Retention.

Talent retention strategies have been widely discussed this past year. At VILLAGE SUMMIT2022 we heard Phil Preston discuss the emergence of ‘stay interviews’ to get in front of the impact staff leaving can have on a business.

Interestingly, the 2022 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report found that employees believe professional development is the number-one way to improve company culture. with the consequences of neglecting development being significant.

According to a report by The Execu|Search Group, 86% of professionals said that they would change jobs if a new company offered them more opportunities for professional development.

An employee development program which offers true professional development is shown to not only improve skills and hone behaviours in the workplace, but it also demonstrates the value placed in that employees through investing in their future. This is an investment which will benefit the business by retaining talent and, importantly in our case, the benefit of our residents who report wanting professionalism and consistency in their Village Manager (singular).

Have you spoken to your manager about investing in your professional development in 2023? 

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Latest industry developments

Village Summit 2022: The Take Aways

Regular readers of the Village Professional Newsletter would be aware Village Summit 2022 concluded in Sydney the other week. This premier event once again delivered a thought-provoking day for Village Managers and Head Office staff across the country.

We’ve now had a chance to review the feedback and reflections by delegates, which includes a satisfaction rating of 91% and an NPS for the event of +57. Further, almost 90% of delegates agreed to finding the day useful for their role, with most indicting they work at the coalface with residents on a daily basis.

In reviewing the feedback, we’ve summarised some of the key takeaways noted on the day from a selection of speakers, to share with you for our final Village Professional Newsletter for 2022.

Of the ten trillion dollars in personal wealth in Australia, more than six trillion dollars belongs to over 55s, which includes Baby Boomers – a generation of customers who are empowered, informed and expectant.
The seniors living consumer has changed. The silent generation has given way to the baby boomer as the predominant purchaser of seniors living accommodation and services.
Age doesn’t limit a person’s ability to live a fulfilled and happy life. A strong sense of purpose within a social network of likeminded people can reduce one’s risk of mortality.
In future, customers, employees and investors will be putting more pressure on businesses and organisations in general to prove that they are delivering their purpose.
As you look across the new types of accommodation available to Australian seniors, the one constant is the need for professional Village Management who can deliver on the experience residents want.

The presentations from all of the speakers from across the country are now online. You will need to enter your email address to access the presentations.

VIEW THE PRESENTATIONS

The videos will be forthcoming in the Knowledge Centre for DCM Institute participants. We will make you aware when this occurs with participants also being credited professional development points in the Knowledge Centre.

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Latest industry developments

DCM Institute recognises 11 NSW village managers for professional development

It wouldn’t be VILLAGE SUMMIT 2022 without DCM Institute taking a moment to recognise achievement in professional development, and it was only fitting that the largest event of the year recognised the greatest number of Village Managers.

In presenting the awards, Tiffany Folbigg (pictured, far left), National DCM Institute Administrator, said, “It is always a pleasure to stand up here and recognise the achievement of Village Managers who have reached a milestone of 1,000 Professional Development Points.”

Recognised on the day were Leanne McPherson (Adventist Senior Living); Kerrie Smile (Australian Unity); Anna Wilson (Golden Lifestyles); Tony Lieschke (Kensington Gardens); Robyn Parry-Lyons (Aveo); and Lisa Ciantar, Jennifer Ward, Sonia Lechner, Donna Hollingsworth, Doug Read, and Jovica Sumenic, all from Uniting.

They join one award recipient in SA, six across QLD and WA, and three in Victoria, all recognised at their respective VILLAGE SUMMIT events.

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Facility Manager Latest industry developments

“Put the residents first” says Chanje Partners’ Cameron Kirby

VILLAGE SUMMIT 2022 concluded last week in Sydney, with Cameron Kirby speaking about Chanje Partners’ “obsession” with residents.

“Put the residents first, at all times, and they will do the marketing for you,” he began when addressing a full house of Village Managers and Head Office staff at the Hilton Hotel on Thursday.

Talking to the consumer research Chanje Partners has undertaken recently, Cameron went on to explain that “the DMF is still relevant, where you have a clearly articulated value proposition that supports this financial model.”

Cameron went on to explain how a well-defined service model is the key to justifying a DMF, talking to how service goes beyond simple bricks-and-mortar amenities, with care and support being a big part of what tomorrow’s residents are looking for today.

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Village Operator

Recognition of Achievement in Professional Development

It wouldn’t be VILLAGE SUMMIT 2022 without DCM Institute taking a moment to recognise achievement in professional development. It was only fitting that the largest event of the year, recognised the greatest number of Village Managers.

In presenting the awards, Tiffany Folbigg, National DCM Institute Administrator, said “it is always a pleasure to stand up here and recognise the achievement of Village Managers who have reached a milestone of 1,000 Professional Development Points.”

Recognised on the day was Leanne McPherson (Adventist Senior Living), Kerrie Smile (Australian Unity), Anna Wilson Golden Lifestyles), Tony Lieschke (Kensington Gardens), Robyn Parry-Lyons (Aveo) and Lisa Ciantar, Jennifer Ward, Sonia Lechner, Donna Hollingsworth, Doug Read, and Jovica Sumenic who are all from Uniting.

Congratulations to all. Professional development starts with a commitment from the individual, with the support of who you work for. The DCM Institute is committed to recognising excellence in 2023 and looks forward to sharing this journey with more than 500 Village Manager and Head Office staff participants across the country.

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Facility Manager Village Operator

Put the resident first, at all times

Village Summit 2022 concluded this week in Sydney, with Cameron Kirby speaking about Chanje Partner’s ‘obsession’ with residents.

“Put the residents first, at all times, and they will do the marketing for you,” he began when addressing a full house of Village Managers and Head Office staff at the Hilton Hotel yesterday.

Talking to the consumer research Chanje Partners have undertaken recently, Cameron went on to explain that “the DMF is still relevant, where you have a clearly articulated value proposition that supports this financial model.”

Cameron went on to explain how a well defined service model is the key to justifying a DMF, talking to how service goes beyond simple pricks and mortar amenities, with care and support being a big part of what tomorrow’s residents are looking for, today.

Categories
Facility Manager Village Operator

State In Focus: Have your say on new NSW Housing SEPP

The NSW Government has released an Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) on its proposed amendments to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (Housing SEPP), including a draft Seniors Housing Design Guide d eveloped by Calderflower Architects.

The EIE from the DPE includes proposed updates to accessibility standards for seniors’ independent living units, as well as the reclassification of what used to be called “hostels” into a “supported living” category, encompassing smaller-scale seniors and disability housing.

Lara Calder, Managing Director at Calderflower (pictured top right), told The Weekly SOURCE that proposed changes in the SEPP mean that retirement village developers may be able to slim down some of the spatial requirements for their units.

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