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Category: Things to watch

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Facility Manager Things to watch

Ryman’s Village Manager Charisse Spence takes her team surfing for bonding

Picture: Charisse Spence (far left), with team members Rachel, Ange and Bayden (L-R)
Picture: Charisse Spence (far left), with team members Rachel, Ange and Bayden (L-R)

DCM Institute member Charisse Spence (far left) is Village Manager of Ryman Healthcare’s Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village at the seaside town of Ocean Grove on VIC’s Bellarine Peninsula.

With the village nearing completion, the Registered Nurse is assembling a team and has taken up an offer from another team member Rachel, a keen surfer, to have “unlimited” surfing lessons.

“The village is five minutes from the beach, so it’s easy to get the team to the beach. It’s a great way of bonding because we know we will be busy when the building is finished,” Charisse said.

“There are a couple who won’t do it, they come with their dogs but I think they really come for a laugh.”

Charisse, named Ryman’s Leader of the Year at the company’s 2022 Awards, said Ryman recently held a recruitment night and more than 100 people turned up.

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“They were literally lined up outside the door. We are going through the expressions of interest,” said Charisse, who has more than 25 years’ experience in the healthcare sector, from working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Geelong, managing regional operations at the Western Victoria Primary Health Network and establishing an Enrolled Nursing Course. She has also been at the forefront of medical research, leading the Barwon Health Cardiac Research Unit for about 10 years.

“There are 18 of us at the moment and I would say we need another six to eight staff when the village is finished in July.

“I want to promote a diverse, welcoming and nurturing culture that sets the foundations for an adaptable and versatile workforce.”

Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village currently has 65 residents. It will have 120 care beds and 53 serviced apartments when complete.   

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Latest industry developments Things to watch

Have Your Say: National Dementia Action Plan

The Department of Health and Ageing is currently seeking feedback on a National Dementia Action Plan. A joint initiative between the Australian Government and the state and territory governments, the initiative is mean better coordinated approaches to dementia risk reduction, early diagnosis and improvements in services for people living with dementia and their carers. 

The Consultation Hub remains open until 31 January 2023. 

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Things to watch

The Best 30 Years

Village Managers know only too well the reality of ageing and the important role planning and foresight can make in improving a person’s quality of life.

Villages.com.au, in association with The DCM Group, recently launched a five-part TV series on the aging journey, airing on 9GEM across Australia and online on 9now. The episodes can also be watched on The Best 30 Years’ own website.

The five programs have been designed for both ageing Australians and their families to learn and discuss what it is to age all the way up to 100+, and what accommodation and services exist to support them.

From aged care to retirement villages, land lease communities to home care, we’ll explore all the options out there to help you find out what it is you need from your ageing journey.

The third episode, focusing on retirement villages, airs on 9GEM tomorrow, Saturday 5 November, at 1pm. The final two episodes will air the following Satrudays.

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Things to watch

DCM’s 5-part TV series on Ageing – including retirement villages – launches this Saturday.

For the past two months our DCM team, including Chris Baynes and Hannah Latham, have been travelling between Hervey Bay, Queensland, down to Melbourne to conduct over 80 interviews with residents, home care clients, and the general public.

Its all for our TV series that is destined for a long life on digital and social media.

We at DCM wrote the detail of what we wanted in the programs and our friend Gretel Killeen wrote the final script and produced the programs.

Here is a sneak preview of Episode One. It goes to air this Saturday 5 November at 1pm on 9GEM nationally.

Take a sneak peak here >

Hope you like it.

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Things to watch

Pets and a service you may not know about

More pets are being allowed into retirement villages, which is great. But what happens when the owner needs to go to hospital and the pet needs to be left behind for a period?

LDK Greenway Views village manager Michelle Bennet said the Brisbane-based owner/operator considers the trip hazard of pets around its villages is far outweighed by residents keeping their companions.

Andrew Rambow and his four-year-old border-collie Rosy (pictured) arrived at LDK Greenway Views in Tuggeranong, Canberra, 16 months ago as a firmly entwined pair.

“Rosy is part of the family. And everyone here loves her. The way they smile is just unbelievable.”

Andrew is supported by Pets and Positive Ageing (PAPA), Northside Community Service and ACT Pet Crisis Support to help walk and groom Rosy and take her to the veterinary clinic.

PAPA, who advised Andrew to move to LDK Greenway Views, are talking to LDK about further plans to look after pets if the owner needs to go to hospital.

“It’s about emotional health because we know that’s just as important,” Michelle told Riotact.

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Key things to help you everyday Things to watch

Who has the keys? Tips for before and after the storm – or flood or fire – plus Duty of Care

It is vital that all communities – including village communities – are well prepared to deal with the immediate impact and subsequent consequences of these events.

Emergency planning is elementary and vital; you can read more about this in our previous article Emergency evacuations – do you have a plan? | DCM Institute (thedcminstitute.com.au).

However, there are 2 areas of emergency planning that often get over looked:

1. Emergency services information, and

2. Post Incident procedure.

Emergency Services Information

It is vital that when an emergency services crew arrive at the village they have access to important information such as:

  • Where to access the stop valves to turn off the water?
     
  • Where to access the electrical box to turn off the power?
     
  • What residents have PEEP’s (Personal emergency evacuation plans) and will need assistance to leave their homes?
     
  • Can they get access to a master key to access all areas?

This can be done in a variety of ways, including signage and chief wardens, however one of the best strategies we have implemented is clear signage pointing to an Emergency Manifest Box (the red box) that houses updated information for residents, emergency plans, PEEPS, master keys, key personnel phone contact details, site maps with utility shut off locations etc…

Another important strategy is to host the local emergency services and utilities crews at the village for a review once a year so that they are familiar with any changes that may have occurred to the infrastructure or accessibility.

Post Incident Procedures 

Another area that often gets overlooked when undertaking emergency planning is the post incident procedures.  

  • What happens if there is no power restoration for a longer period of time – even weeks? 
     
  • What happens if there is no access to the village for days or weeks?
     
  • What happens if there is no internet access for a longer period? 
     
  • What happens if residents are likely to be dislodged from their homes for a long period?
     
  • What communication methods will be used if residents are not all housed in one location?
     
  • And many other considerations that might need to be considered.

It might even be that there is a need to identify at what point do your emergency evacuation procedures finish and your Business Continuity procedures kick in. 

Nevertheless, these are vital activities that require some thought and consideration in preparation for possible longer term impacts of emergency events. 

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Latest industry developments Things to watch

Retirement village contract terminology is our downfall, says LASA

Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) is lobbying state governments reviewing their retirement village acts to use standardised terms to help prospective residents understand their contracts.

‘Hallelujah’ I hear you cry!

LASA’s Principal Living & Seniors Housing, Paul Murphy, says the current contract terminology is harming retirement villages and surely he has a valid point.

“Terms such as ‘ingoing contribution’, ‘exit entitlement’, ‘premium’ and ‘deferred management fee’ are not terms that clearly articulate their intent,” he said.

“The Deferred Management Fee is also foreign to prospective residents. It is not really a fee. It is the lease payment for tenure in the village.”

He published a graphic (pictured above) which seeks to standardise the contract terminology across the nation.

Would you prefer talking to prospective residents about a “bond”, “bond refund” or “lease payment”?

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Things to watch

Boomers have unfinished business

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting webinar with Bronwyn White, who has been researching Baby Boomers for the last 20 years.

There were some very interesting insights from the webinar which focused on Marketing to Baby Boomers and I thought I would share just a few. She found that:

  • 80% of Baby Boomers feel like they’re being ignored or they’re invisible;
  • 94% dislike the messaging tone or words used to describe them or entice them;
  • 25% of Boomers hold onto 56% of Australia’s wealth, and
  • 85% of females influence all decision making in homes across Australia and cautioned us to think about the influence Boomer women maybe having on their children’s and parents purchasing decisions.

Bronwyn said there was strong evidence that family is paramount to the boomer and shared the importance of including dialogue and photography that included family when marketing to the boomer.

But one of the most interesting things to me was that she indicated that the research showed most Boomers aren’t done yet!  In fact, they see themselves as having Unfinished Business! 

Some want to start a new business, complete a PhD, live overseas and experience a different culture. Essentially, they are still searching for purpose, significance and the ability to continue to grow, learn and be adventurous.

Bronwyn made a throwaway line “will we be seeing incubator sessions in villages” ….

This is an interesting proposition, but whether we will or we won’t see incubator sessions in villages is to be debated. 

Those of us with a larger number of Boomers in our villages are certainly seeing that the desire for activities, engagement and entertainment is high, with many residents still engaged in external activities such as existing businesses, holding board positions, volunteering, and contributing interest groups. 

It begs the question, how villages will support/facilitate the continuation of these activities as the Boomer ages and it becomes harder to participate, contribute, travel and get to entertainment activities?

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Things to watch

Is your village dementia-friendly?

Back in 2019 I wrote about a new program Dementia Australia had developed called Dementia Friendly communities Dementia-friendly communities​ | DCM Institute (thedcminstitute.com.au). There are now 51 regions that have implemented the Dementia Friendly communities’ program in their local area.

By 2058 the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to almost 1.1 million. Anecdotally I am hearing the impact of this increase is already being felt in villages across the country as its prevalence increases with this next generation as residents live longer in villages.

Dementia can be a significant contributor to behaviour change.

“There are many reasons why a person’s behaviour may be changing. Dementia is a result of changes that take place in the brain and affects the person’s memory, mood and behaviour. Sometimes the behaviour may be related to these changes taking place in the brain,” says Dementia Australia.

Managing changed behaviours can be very difficult and is often a matter of trial and error.

I know it can be hard sometimes if someone is acting angrily towards you but try to remember that the behaviour is often not deliberate. Anger and aggression are often directed against those closest to a resident, family members, neighbours, village professionals and carers can be included in this.

The behaviour is often out of the person’s control and they themselves may be quite frightened by it. Sometime trying a reassuring approach may assist.

Dementia Australia recommends the following strategies you can try when dealing with these situations:

  • A calm, unstressed environment in which the person with dementia follows a familiar routine can help to avoid some difficult behaviours;
  • Try to keep the environment familiar. People with dementia can become upset if they find themselves in a strange situation or among a group of unfamiliar people where they feel confused and unable to cope;
  • The frustration caused by being unable to meet other people’s expectations may be enough to trigger a change in behaviour;
  • If behaviour becomes difficult, it is best not to attempt any form of physical contact such as restraining, leading them away or approaching from behind. It may be better to leave them alone until they have recovered, or call a friend or neighbour for support;
  • Try not to take it personally;
  • Try not to use a raised voice;
  • Avoid punishment. The person may not remember the event and is therefore not able to learn from it;
  • Speak slowly, in a calm and reassuring voice, and
  • Try not to become provoked or drawn into an argument.

Dementia Australia also boasts some great resources with further information on understanding and coping with changed behaviours.

Changing behaviours and dementia

Changed behaviours and dementia 1 – Changed behaviours

Coping with behaviour changes

Coping with behaviour changes | Dementia Australia

Training courses.

Courses – Centre for Dementia Learning | Dementia Australia.

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Things to watch Village Operator

Movie screening in retirement villages: it’s the law

Last week I read a great alert from our Industry Partners Russell Kennedy that provided a timely reminder about screening of movies within Retirement Communities, particularly during these COVID times when residents are often more likely to stay within the village.

In my experience there is often some confusion about whether operators are required to have a license when screening movies in community centres. 

 Most of us will have seen the notices at the start of DVDs or streaming services warning that the film is provided for in-home use only. At the time of purchase you are often also purchasing the right to view the movie in your own home.

However, what if you wish to screen the film in the community centre. That is when things get a little complicated.

Our colleagues Rohan Harris (pictured) and Gina Tresidder at Russell Kennedy share the following.

There are no blanket exceptions or specific ‘fair dealing’ provisions that apply to the screening of films in aged care homes or retirement villages1 or for not-for-profits. So the question becomes whether it is a ‘private’ or ‘public’ screening.

What’s the difference between a ‘Private’ and ‘Public’ screening?

There are no specific guidelines set out in the legislation.

Generally, if a resident is watching a film in the same way a person might do in a private home then it is likely to be considered a private screening. For example: If a resident of a retirement village hires a DVD or signs up to a streaming service and watches a film alone in their room or invites a few friends over to watch.

This would generally be regarded as a private screening that would not require permission.

 However, if the provider or the operator organises to screen a film for multiple residents in a common area such as a recreation room, for example, this is more likely to be considered a public screening requiring permission from the copyright owners. For example: If a retirement village committee plays a DVD in the community centre and residents from the village gather there to watch it, even if there are no guests from outside the village;

This is more likely to be considered a public screening requiring a licence.

Where can I get a licence?

Rather than approaching the individual owners of copyright in the particular films you wish to screen, to streamline matters, the various studios have granted rights to different organisations to manage licensing on their behalf.

 In particular, we understand that Roadshow Public Performance Licensing (RPPL) (www.roadshowppl.com.au) manages licenses for studios such as Roadshow, Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox. RPPL has recently authorised a specialist distributor, Heritage Films International Pty Ltd, to issue the Big Studio Movie Licence (www.bsml.com.au) to retirement communities and aged care facilities.

What if I do not get a licence?

If you do not get a licence, then you may be infringing the copyright in the films you screen. The copyright owner or authorised licensee could take legal action against you any time up to six years after the infringement occurred. The copyright owner could seek orders from the courts including that the infringer pay damages or a portion of profits. In some circumstances, directors can also be found personally liable.

If you need some further clarification or guidance on this matter please reach out to Rohan or Gina at Russell Kennedy’s IP team.