RSL LifeCare ANZAC Village, in Narrabeen, 23km north of Sydney’s CBD, which is the Not For Profit’s largest retirement living and aged care facility in NSW, held its Veteran March and Commemorative Anzac Service on Wednesday.
Air Commodore Nick Osborne (pictured below) presented the Anzac address with the laying of wreaths laid by Pipe Major Allan Watts. Residents were in attendance.
Image by Glenn Nicholls
NSW RSL is holding more than 600 commemorative events in communities across New South Wales. Getting involved in ANZAC Day is an opportunity for all Australians to come together, honor the sacrifice of our service men and women, and show support for our current and past members of the armed forces.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has created three commemorative posters that anybody can print.
“Display our Anzac Day poster to commemorate all those who have served during wars, conflicts and peace operations,” said the department.
“We also acknowledge First Nations veterans and Australian service in East Timor (now Timor-Leste).”
Image by Glenn Nicholls
Holding ANZAC Day events for residents in advance of 25 April is a great way Village Professionals can observe this important day on our calendar with residents in a way that still allows residents to attend events on the actional day, at locations they have likely been attending with mates for decades.
Embarking on my journey in this sector, I’ve really enjoyed visiting our participants at their Villages. I often hear that each Village is different, with its unique types of accommodation, locations, operator models, residents, age of assets, and sizes. However, amidst these differences, is a common thread binds them together—the unwavering dedication of Village Professionals enhancing the lives of their residents.
Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved
Mattie Stepanek
Last week we had the pleasure of visiting The Arbour Berry for our first DCM Institute Networking Meeting, and I’ve been asked to do some reflective learning of my own and share my takeaways.
Learning isn’t confined to a classroom
We have spoken about this before in previous articles, there is a lot you can take away from spending time with peers.
Online learning in the Knowledge Centre is a key part of your development as a Village Professional, but there is real magic that happens when you get to sit in a room, around a table, or have a coffee and share ‘war stories’, as one person called it the other day.
Through casual conversations we were able to walk away with articles to look into reading, and insightful tips to help us develop a new problem-solving skill. Taking the time to network with peers presents an opportunity to expand our horizons.
Knowledge becomes wisdom after it is put to use
What was fascinating was sitting around a table of Village Professionals who had been in the role from 15 years to 15 days, and hearing some of their insights and interactions.
The connection was effortless with each challenge raised, teasing out options, possibilities and pathways forward by others willing to share their own knowledge. It reminds us the most valuable insights can be gained through spending time with peers, whether they’re from your own Village or a neighbouring one.
Networking events, Professional Development Days, and Masterclasses offer more than knowledge. They allow you to learn from peers about how they have put this knowledge into action, what worked, and in some cases, what didn’t.
Lonely is not being alone, it’s the fear that no one cares
During my time it has been fascinating to learn about how spread out this sector is. That many village professionals work similarly to what other sectors call ‘lone workers.’
What I’ve also learned is that when you put a group of Village Professionals in a room together, or on a webinar together, you all quickly realise that you are not alone.
Every Village, while distinct, is supported by dedicated professionals striving for the same goal: the well-being of residents. This shared purpose means that you have a wealth of industry knowledge and support at your fingertips. You all care.
These are my reflections from my own Learning Journal.
Reflections that remind me of the resilience and passion that define this sector. Despite the nuances that distinguish each village, the essence remains unchanged—a shared commitment to creating thriving communities.
Special Thanks
DCM Institute would like to thank Kylie Pickett and the team at The Arbour Berry for hosting us.
Renee England, Uniting’s Head of Seniors Services Sydney Central, take a bow.
Nearly 1000 staff, residents and their families turned out to party at Australian Turf Club’s Rosehill Gardens Racecourse for the Not For Profit’s 24th annual Seniors Ball.
It is not a fund-raiser. It is solely a great way to say thank you to everyone at Uniting and is a highlight of NSW Seniors Week. It was the first Seniors Ball for four years due to COVID-19.
This year’s event embraced the theme of: Super heroes, Stars and Legends – A Star-Studded Affair, and featured dodgem cars, spinning tea cups, virtual reality and energetic dance moves.
Everyone attending transformed into their favourite icons and legends, mingling with many heroes, stars and stilt-walkers and creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Every residential aged care home was given a different theme and the residents really got into the event.
“The Seniors Ball provides a unique opportunity for residents, clients, families, and employees to unite, socialise, and celebrate our seniors with a positive and active spirit,” Renee said.
Louise joined Retire Australia as a Personal Care Assistant in February last year before becoming Village Manager of The Manor, which forms part of Tarragal Glen Retirement Village, in Erina.
Tarrgal Glen and The Manor are 81km north-northwest of Sydney, this retirement village was created in 1995 to cater for seniors who needed extra household assistance but could still live independently.
“I have a corporate background in management (both people management and business) and prior to The Manor, I was the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Co-Founder of the designer furniture and homeware business House of Europe.
“I have stayed on the Central Coast, to continue my coaching and mentoring of the youth in detention but also to be around for my granddaughter who is now 11 months old.”
Louise Vangestel and Vanessa Fordyce, Village Manager of Retire Australia’s Wood Glen Retirement Village, also in Erina, founded Tarragal Outrigger Canoe Club, based at The Haven, Terrigal.
The Tarragal Ourtrigger Canoe Club focuses on supporting not just the community but local Indigenous youth in partnership with the Frank Baxter Youth Justice Centre and Bara Barang Corporation.
Louise is Club President, and it was her club work which enabled her to being named 2024 Terrigal Woman of the Year.
“I am honoured that my small part of helping youth in detention and hopefully helping them make better decisions in life was acknowledged. I am very grateful but whilst I have won this, there is a whole club of people helping me do this program, so the award is as much for them as it is for me,” she said.
Louise, as steerer, and Vanessa, seat 2, won the 12km State Titles two weeks ago. The youths that the club mentors also won the Novice 6km race at the same event.
When you consider the national days on our calendar, ANZAC Day continues to hold profound significance in both Australia and New Zealand.
Established as a national public holiday in 1921, 25 April has continued to serve as a day of remembrance and reflection. A day of unity where we can pay our respects to those men and women who have lost their lives serving this country, and those who continue to do so to this day.
Knowing how important ANZAC Day is in retirement villages across the country, we thought we’d share a wonderful initiative from Ryman Healthcare.
Each year, residents from their Australian and New Zealand villages are invited to share stories of service to their country. These stories are then collected and shared in a book they call ‘Stories of Service.’
Robert Creek, 78, is a resident at John Flynn Retirement Village in Melbourne and a veteran of the Vietnam War. John served as a member of 3 Troop 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers (RAE). In 2024, Robert’s was one of the many shared in Ryman’s book.
Taking Part in 2024
No matter where you are on Anzac Day, you can commemorate April 25 with us. The ABC will have comprehensive broadcast coverage of Anzac Day services and events. Tune into their coverage throughout the day across ABC Radio, ABC listen app, ABC TV, ABC iview and online from 5.30am (AEST). Click on the picture for all the broadcasting options
Coverage includes commemorations and local marches in towns and cities around Australia as well as special Anzac Day programming.
RSL Australia provides details of what is happening in each state as well like the Sporting day events across the country and the Air Force Flying display that takes place in each state.
Introducing Lyn Ferguson (pictured above), Village Manager at Bethanie Elanora in South Bunbury, a beachside suburb in Bunbury, 175km south of Western Australia’s capital city Perth, and part of DCM Institute’s exclusive 1,000 Club.
Did you have a different career before becoming a Village Manager? Tell us about them and how did they set you up for the role?
When I started with Bethanie I was employed as a physician assistant in the Southern Regional Hub and also worked within Community. Learning about the services and packages, meeting clients, and accompanying them on their outings was always so satisfying.
I also worked in the laundry, the kitchen, in administration and in the maintenance team, and having brought in some accounts experience, I’ve experienced the business from many angles.
What do you enjoy most about your role and the one thing that has surprised you about it?
I really enjoy interacting and supporting the residents and their families and helping them understand what services are available and how to utilise them.
What have you gained from the DCM Institute program?
The DCM Institute provided me with the knowledge of so many practical elements of managing a Village, as well as understanding more from the perspective of management.
There is always something that you can take away that you weren’t aware of and with DCM Institute we have ongoing support, plus networking with other business partners in the industry.
How do you manage your time to ensure you can balance responsibilities to residents and your operator, with your own learning and development?
I have dedicated time that I put aside for my DCM Institute leaning and development in order to focus.
The one thing you would tell anyone thinking of being a Village Manager.
Being a Village Manager is a big responsibility, but it is also very rewarding to help guide residents through the next chapter of their lives.
I find the support we give to the families alongside the residents in our village is equally powerful. I totally love my job and all the residents.
The report, Empowering Older Australians with Better Product Usability, summarises the findings of a national survey of more than 1,000 Australians aged 65 years and over on the challenges they face in everyday situations.
We’ve identified that there’s a significant gap between industry’s belief that products are user-friendly for older consumers and the actual usability challenges faced by older Australians every day.
Julianne Parkinson, CEO, Global Centre for Modern Ageing
More than 80% of respondents felt product designers and manufacturers overlooked their needs, flagging examples from font usage, to grip issues when it comes to handling products.
The report has been produced to draw the attention of product developers and manufacturers of the need to consider the fastest growing consumer market in Australia – the over 65s.
With the average age of retirement village residents now 81, and one in three Australians aged over 85 living with some form of dementia or cognitive impairment, it doesn’t take a mathematician to realise that dementia is no longer an emerging problem for village operators – it’s on the doorstep now.
With few legal avenues available to move residents from the village onto residential aged care, Village Managers are increasingly dealing with residents with higher-level dementia needs ranging from wandering and ‘sundowning’ to agitation and aggression.
is there a solution?
James Wiltshire, Executive Director of the DCM Institute, which provides professional development for Village Managers and head office staff, says it is clear that Village Professionals need some strategies and training to be able to identify and understand any changes in their residents, and be able to act instead of waiting for the behaviours to escalate.
Managers and staff at the coalface of our sector are starved for guidance on how to approach the subject of dementia with residents and with their families.
James Wiltshire, Executive Director, DCM Institute
The DCM Institute held a series of Professional Development Days across the country last year that covered the issue of dementia and retirement living in partnership with dementia advocacy peak body Dementia Australia.
The operator also has a responsibility to take on a leadership role in educating its staff and residents about dementia.
One operator that has taken on the ‘dementia challenge’ is Keyton, which has 76 operational retirement villages across Australia and has seen a majority of its village staff from the executive leadership team down complete training with Dementia Australia.
“We obviously see in the villages that our staff witness a lot of changed behaviours, some of which may be because a resident has dementia,” said Marcelle Wilson, Keyton’s National Operations Manager – Governance & Compliance.
“So, it’s important for the staff that they understand what dementia is, and what they can do to assist that person living with dementia to feel more comfortable.”
“From the other residents’ perspective, they are living in a community so it’s important that they understand so that they can be more patient with people who might have some behavioural symptoms of dementia.”
Educating residents to end dementia stigma
Keyton first started working with Dementia Australia in August 2018 when the operator held Dementia Friends workplace events in its Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth corporate offices and for staff across 26 villages in ACT, NSW, VIC, and QLD.
The Dementia Friends campaign is run as a free morning or afternoon tea event where staff can come to learn more about dementia and hear people living with dementia tell their stories via a series of videos with the aim of reducing some of the stigma around the disease.
“We know there is some discrimination and angst [among village residents], and it’s driven by a lack of understanding of the disease,” said Marie Norman, National Relationships Manager at Dementia Australia, who worked with both Keyton and DCM Instite on their dementia education content.
Dementia Australia’s Marie Norman, speaking at a DCM Institute Professional Development Day in Sydeny, August 2023.
People often find it confronting if their fellow residents are disorientated or being more outspoken, which can happen depending on where the damage is in the brain.
We help them to understand that it is a disease process and not someone simply becoming difficult.”
Marie Norman, Dementia Australia
Supporting carers in the village
The other aspect is supporting those residents where one person is acting as a carer for a partner living with dementia.
“There’s a whole support network system that needs to be in place,” said Marcelle.
Some carers aren’t aware of the resources that are available for them to tap into so it’s also about connecting them with organisations such as Dementia Australia.
Marcelle Wilson, Keyton’s National Operations Manager – Governance & Compliance
Dementia Australia can also provide villages with advice on changes to the village, for example, improved signage and using name badges, that can help people living with dementia to navigate their way around more easily.
ongoing dementia education required
Following the success of these Dementia Friends workplace events, Keyton rolled out Dementia Australia’s Understanding Dementia training – three-hour, face-to-face sessions for village staff – across all its villages in 2019, with 400 staff taking part.
These training sessions discuss steps that Village Managers can take to better support their residents.
The education gives them the capacity and confidence to be able to handle situations and empowers them to make better decisions to work out a way to support that person
Maria Norman, Dementia Australia
“Village Managers want to provide residents with a quality of life,” James said. “There does come a time when this can’t be achieved without having the skills and knowledge of how to facilitate access to the care and support.”
Dementia Australia advises that this kind of training should also extend to all village staff, for example, reception, gardening, and maintenance staff who may have contact with residents.
With the Government putting more funding into helping older Australians to live at home for longer – and residential aged care increasingly reserved for people at the end-of-life or palliative stage – the reality is that villages will be home to residents with higher-level dementia care needs.
Should all village operators be looking at Keyton’s initiatives and how their organisation is equipping staff and residents to face this challenge head-on?
Dementia Australia’s National Dementia Helpline is available 24/7 on 1800 100 500 for advice and support. Village staff can also contact Marie and the team at Dementia Australia via email at development@dementia.org.au.
“The Government has heard that retirement living can be complex, especially for some residents to understand their financial rights and obligations,” the Justice and Community Safety Directorate said.
“Some residents may face additional vulnerabilities, for example due to isolation or difficulty navigating technology.”
ACT Retirement Villages Residents Association (ACT RVRA) will be able to tell people in retirement villages that they are there to help and can talk to government agencies and join discussions to show off their excellent work and share useful ideas. Some of the money will be used to create newsletters and other materials for residents, ensuring that everyone, even those without internet, can stay informed with important updates, said the Directorate.
Key objectives funded by this grant include:
Enhancing the RVRA’s capabilities: Funding will support a ‘virtual’ office, dedicated phone line and resources to provide a reliable point of contact and information exchange for residents and stakeholders.
Building awareness: The grant helps the ACT RVRA promote itself directly within retirement villages as a source of support for residents, and to engage with government agencies and participate in relevant forums to showcase their work and best practices.
Enhancing communication: Resources will go towards newsletters for residents and informational materials, including ensuring residents without internet access receive vital updates.
John Beagle (pictured above), President of the ACT RVRA, said the grant would “make a tangible difference to the lives of ACT retirement village residents and prospective residents, who will be provided with independent information, advice, advocacy and representation, and the knowledge they need to understand and exercise their rights, and actively participate in their community”.
**John has subsequently stood down and Mike Vale is now Acting President of ACT RVRA.
Emma, who has been employed at the operator of Retirement Living, Residential Aged Care and Rental Accommodation services across Western Australia for over five years, was named WA Village Manager of the Year at a Property Council industry event in Perth last Wednesday (13 March).
I am deeply grateful for the guidance, inspiration and unwavering support of my colleagues at Masonic Care WA
Emma Benjamin, Village Manager, Masonic Care WA
“Working alongside such a dedicated group not only supports me, but it also inspires me to strive for excellence on a daily basis.”
A formoer mortgage and finance broker, Emma is now a finalist for the National Village Manager of the Year award, competing against:
