Ryman Times NZ Winter edition 2019

RY M A N T IM ES • WIN TE R 19 Everybody loves Linda Christchurch Mosque appeal Ready to eat and Delicious!

NEW ZEALAND EDITION

myRyman wins in Singapore

A note from Gordy Kia Ora and welcome to your latest edition of the Ryman Times.

It was an absolute delight to be able to reveal recently that we’d named our new Hamilton village in honour of Linda Jones, a trailblazer for New Zealand women.

In the 1970s Linda overcame years of opposition to win equal rights for women on the racetrack. You only have to spend five minutes with Linda to realise why she achieved what she did – she’s a fighter and a formidable woman.

It was wonderful to see the reaction on our new residents’ faces when they learned the name.

They were proud of the name, and so are we.

It was a similar story when we opened Nellie Melba Retirement Village with our residents and special guests.

It was a night to remember with Lord Samuel Vestey on hand to officially open the village.

Lord Vestey – Nellie Melba’s great-grandson and closest living relative – spent the evening mixing and mingling with residents. He told us it was his mission to find out exactly what everyone thought of the place, and he was pleased with the positive response.

Lending his family name to the village was not a responsibility he took lightly, and he sure did his due diligence.

It’s a stunning village and it’s off to a flying start thanks to the great team we have on board.

One of the purposes of the opening party is to thank the people who have put their heart and soul into the project.

None more so than young bricklayer Tyrone Keatch whose inspiring story is included in this issue.

It’s a reminder that our villages not only create a great place to live, they also provide career opportunities for our construction team.

As you’ll read throughout this issue there’s an awful lot going on in Ryman as we head into winter. There’s also a lot to celebrate.

I was especially pleased to see the recognition myRyman received at the Eldercare Awards in Singapore.

And, of course, winning The Most Trusted Brand award for our industry the fifth time was also a highlight, and testament to a whole lot of work over many years.

Keep warm and safe, and I hope to catch up with as many shareholders as possible at our annual meeting on July 25.

Take care,

Gordon MacLeod Chief Executive

In this issue Profit rises, new sites unveiled ....................................................................................................... 3 Everybody loves Linda ........................................................................................................................ 4 We’ve done it again...Fabulous five as Most Trusted Brand ......................................6 Stunning new portrait of Bert Sutcliffe revealed................................................................7 Rebuilding his life, brick by brick................................................................................................... 8 Christchurch Mosque appeal....................................................................................................... 10 Hamilton icon celebrated ..................................................................................................................11 Ryman secures tenth site in Victoria .......................................................................................12 'Granny Melba's' legacy cemented at village opening.................................................13 Ready to eat and Delicious! ............................................................................................................14 myRyman wins in Singapore ......................................................................................................... 16

Ryman Healthcare Ltd

Front cover: Former jockey and village namesake Linda Jones with Gordon MacLeod at the naming ceremony.

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Ryman Times is printed on an environmentally responsible paper, FSC® certified, Mixed Source pulp from Responsible Sources.

Profit rises, new sites unveiled Ryman Healthcare’s 2019 full year underlying profit rose 11.5% to a record $227 million driven by increased village development margins and solid demand.

Momentum grew during the year with four large new retirement villages progressing and Ryman has a record landbank.

The growth in underlying profit was driven by strong development margins, particularly from Ryman's second village in Melbourne, Nellie Melba.

Chairman Dr David Kerr said demand for Ryman's unique villages and high-quality care

remained strong. Only 1% of resale stock was available at year end.

Ryman invested $552 million in new and existing villages during the year, up from $478 million last year.

Gordon MacLeod said highlights included resident care improvements, progress in Victoria, and a record land bank.

Six new sites were added during the year at Aberfeldie, Ocean Grove and Ringwood East in Victoria; Kohimarama in Auckland; and Bishopspark and Riccarton Park in Christchurch. "(Also) we have four large villages selling in Melbourne, Auckland and

New village programme: • Brandon Park, Melbourne (Nellie Melba): Village and care centre open.

• Lynfield, Auckland (Murray Halberg): First residents in, village and care centre under construction.

• Devonport, Auckland (William Sanders): First residents in, village and care centre under construction.

• River Road, Hamilton (Linda Jones): First residents in, village and care centre under construction.

• Burwood East, Melbourne: Development approval received, site works under way.

• Geelong, Victoria: Development approval received, early site works due to start.

• Lincoln Road, Auckland: Consent received, site works under way.

• Havelock North, Hawkes Bay: Consent received, early site works due to start.

• Coburg, Melbourne: Preliminary site works under way.

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Hamilton and we expect to have 12 sites under construction in the next 12 months. We are about to move into our biggest ever build programme,'' Gordon said.

Ryman was on track to have five villages open in Victoria by the end of 2020. Ryman reaffirmed its medium-term target of doubling underlying profit every five years.

Pictured: Ryman's second Melbourne village, Nellie Melba.

New villages in planning and design phase: • Aberfeldie, Victoria.

• Ocean Grove, Victoria.

• Mt Martha, Victoria.

• Ringwood East, Victoria.

• Mt Eliza, Victoria.

• Hobsonville, Auckland.

• Kohimarama, Auckland.

• Riccarton Park, Christchurch • Bishopspark/Park Terrace, Christchurch.

• Karori, Wellington.

• Newtown, Wellington.

Everybody loves Linda Gasps of delight and a big round of applause greeted the news that Ryman Healthcare's new retirement village on River Road in Hamilton has been named in honour of New Zealand's most famous female jockey, Linda Jones MBE. The name was revealed at a special event held at the Hamilton Working Men's Club in April, with Linda herself present for the occasion.

As the first woman to be inducted in the NZ Racing Hall of Fame, Linda is a true Kiwi icon who now joins a long list of great New Zealanders whose names have been lent to Ryman retirement villages, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Bruce McLaren, Possum Bourne and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Fittingly, her brief but brilliant career was forged in the Waikato. After getting noticed in the women-only 'Powder Puff Derbies', Linda became a media sensation by leading the campaign for equal rights in horse racing.

"Linda is New Zealand's most famous female jockey, she was a trailblazer for women and a brave and fierce competitor in a tough sport."

Her first attempt to apply for an apprentice licence was turned down. The reasons for the refusal included being too old (she was 24), not strong enough, and the fact that she was married.

It took her three years to get the licence but finally in 1977 she became the first New Zealand woman jockey to gain the right to race against men.

It was at Te Rapa in 1978 that she notched up her first win, which then led to a flood of historic firsts to be achieved.

She was the first female rider in the North Island to take home first place and she became the first woman to ride four winners in one day, also at Te Rapa.

Linda was also the first woman to win a group race, the first to win at Ellerslie and the first woman in the world to win a derby.

She cracked some firsts across the Tasman too, including becoming the first woman to win against men in Australia.

Gordon MacLeod explained that suggestions for village names were sought from prospective residents at public meetings held before the village's construction started.

"When it came to finding a name for our River Road site we turned to our locals at a meeting at St Andrews Golf Club last year and this was a popular suggestion," he said.

"Linda is New Zealand's most famous female jockey, she was a trailblazer for women and a brave and fierce competitor in a tough sport.

"She's a New Zealand icon whose career was forged in the Waikato so I can't think of a more fitting namesake for our beautiful new village in Hamilton.

"I'm sure it is a name that everyone in our village community will be proud of."

Linda travelled from her home in Queensland to be at the naming ceremony and said she was delighted to lend her name to the new village in an area that was dear to her heart.

Gordon also thanked Piripi Matika from Ngati Wairiri for performing a karakia to open the event.

He praised Project Manager Gary Cox's efforts in leading the build since construction began last year.

The first residents have moved into their new townhouses.

Pictured top: Former jockey and village namesake Linda Jones with Gordon MacLeod at the naming ceremony.

Pictured right: Linda Jones with Linda Jones Retirement Village Sales Advisors Sharon Tainui and David de Veth.

Pictured far right: Linda Jones prepares for another race.

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We’ve done it again...

Fabulous five as Most Trusted Brand Ryman Healthcare has been named the most trusted brand in the retirement industry for the fifth time.

Ryman has taken the top award in the aged care and retirement village category in the Reader's Digest 2019 Most Trusted Brands awards.

Ryman also won in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018.

The aim of the awards is to identify the names Kiwis recognise and trust the most.

The winners are chosen from a survey of 1,500 New Zealanders across 65 categories. Catalyst Marketing & Research surveyed respondents on which products they recognised and used, and which held their trust in each category.

Ryman was singled out for praise for having helpful and friendly staff, residents who love living in Ryman villages, and for providing care that is ''good enough for Mum''.

Gordon MacLeod said it was humbling to win the award for the fifth time.

"Deciding to move into a retirement village is one of the biggest decisions people make in their retirement,'' Gordon said.

"Our residents trust us to look after their care and their security, and to care for them into the future. It's a privilege to look after them.

"To win this award five times shows that we're consistently delivering, and we will continue to do so.

"It is always nice to win awards, but the best reward is the feedback we get from our residents and their families each day.''

Ryman villages are home to more

“To win this award five times shows that we’re consistently delivering, and we will continue to do so.” than 11,000 residents in New Zealand and Australia and the team delivers more than 7 million hours of care each year.

"We've spent a lot of time building trust and it is something we never take for granted,'' Gordon said.

"We always want to get better at what we do, and we're rolling out a whole lot of innovations aimed at lifting care for our residents, and the experience of

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living in a Ryman village for our independent residents.''

The Reader's Digest survey has been run for 20 years, and the retirement industry has been included in the categories surveyed since 2014.

Reader's Digest Director Sheron White said winners were brands that were genuine, authentic, reliable and consistent – and only the best brands can manage this.

"Once again Ryman Healthcare has been voted the Most Trusted Brand in the aged care and retirement villages category of this independent survey of over 1,500 New Zealanders.

"The category has been surveyed for the last six years, this year is the fifth year that Ryman Healthcare has won the category, what an achievement! Well done Ryman Healthcare.''

Ryman Healthcare has also won the Reader's Digest Quality Service Award in the aged care and retirement village category four times.

Pictured: Ryman's five Most Trusted Brands awards.

Stunning new portrait of Bert Sutcliffe revealed A stunning new portrait of New Zealand cricket legend Bert Sutcliffe has been revealed at the retirement village named after him.

Renowned painter Craig Primrose QSM revealed his vision of Bert at a special event held at Ryman Healthcare’s Birkenhead village which included Bert's children and great-granddaughter.

Gordon MacLeod explained how the village came to be named after the sporting hero in 2016.

“It has become a tradition for Ryman Healthcare to name its villages after significant New Zealanders and who better to have a say in that than the people who are going to live in the village?"

Gordon went on to describe Bert’s historic contribution to the sport which saw him awarded an MBE for his services to cricket.

But he said it was the heroics during the South Africa tour of 1953, which really put him in a league of his own.

Bert had been knocked down by a bouncer and needed hospital treatment but insisted on returning to Ellis Park to help his team-mates, one of whom, Bob Blair, had just received a telegram informing him that his fiancé had died in the Tangiwai Rail Disaster.

“It truly is a privilege to be associated with a legacy as honourable as that and not one that we take lightly,” Just after the ninth wicket fell, and Bert was walking off thinking the innings were over, out of the tunnel walked Bob Blair who had rushed to the ground to help after listening to the game on the radio.

The raucous crowd fell suddenly silent before watching the pair add a quick-fire 33 runs for the final wicket which left Bert unbeaten on 80 after seven sixes.

As a final gesture of respect he

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stood back to allow his grieving team-mate to enter the tunnel first and receive the acclaim of the crowd.

“It truly is a privilege to be associated with a legacy as honourable as that and not one that we take lightly,” Gordon said.

Commissioning his portrait to be put on display in the village named after him was another way of paying tribute to that legacy, he said.

The portrait was the latest in a series by Craig Primrose of Ryman village namesakes that the company had commissioned.

Bert Sutcliffe’s son Gary, who was at the event with his sister Lynne, Bert’s nephew Mark Farrell and Bert’s great-granddaughter Tenley, thanked Ryman for commissioning, and Craig for painting the portrait which the family was thrilled with.

Pictured from left: Bert Sutcliffe’s daughter Lynne Scott, her husband Jeremy Scott, Bert Sutcliffe's son Gary Sutcliffe, Gordon MacLeod and resident Myrtle Perenara.

Rebuilding his life, brick by brick

On Tyrone Keatch’s 21st birthday his workmates at AJP Bricklaying downed tools early on their job at Nellie Melba Retirement Village and took him back to the factory for a surprise party.

It was a nice thing to do for the young, enthusiastic apprentice on the team, but they had no idea just how significant the gesture was.

Unbeknownst to them, Tyrone was about to walk into the first birthday party anyone had thrown for him in his life.

“I was just blown away because it was my first ever birthday party,” he says as he recounts that day, just over a year ago.

“I was holding back tears, especially when I was reading the card. Everyone took turns writing something in the card for me and the messages – what they had written – it meant a lot.”

Tyrone’s childhood in New Zealand was tough in ways he doesn’t want

to go into in too much detail. Suffice to say he didn’t have the start in life that every child deserves.

But while he’s watched childhood friends sucked into an insidious cycle of poverty, drugs and crime, he’s building a new life for himself – brick by brick – in Australia.

Tyrone was working for a labour hire company on Ryman Healthcare’s Bob Scott Retirement Village in Wellington when he was asked to help the Australian bricklaying contractors also working on the project.

“I started working with them and it was good, I liked it. It was fun. All the guys were nice and really welcoming.”

Tyrone liked the AJP team, and the feeling was mutual.

“From the beginning Tyrone was welcomed into our crew and quickly became one of the boys,” says AJP director Anthony Pickles.

“He demonstrated a strong work ethic, friendly attitude and

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an ability to take on any task and do it well. He kept our bricklayers moving and showed a genuine enthusiasm for the job.”

Anthony says when Tyrone’s new workmates noticed he was often arriving at work in the same clothes as the day before, with no food or money in his pockets, they opened their own wallets to help out.

“He demonstrated a strong work ethic, friendly attitude and an ability to take on any task and do it well.”

New clothes were bought, and they made sure he never went hungry.

When AJP’s contract on the Bob Scott project was nearing its end, Anthony decided they didn’t want to leave Tyrone behind when they returned to Australia.

Tyrone and his younger brother,

Langdon, were both invited to relocate to Melbourne to take up bricklaying apprenticeships with the company.

A door had opened, and Tyrone and Langdon didn’t hesitate to run through it.

Less than two years on and Tyrone has already repaid the faith that Anthony and AJP placed in him.

He has just been named 2018 Apprentice of the Year at the training institute he attends and has discovered a deep passion for his chosen career.

“It’s just fun. You get to see yourself bring up a wall, stand back and know it’s going to be there for a lot longer than you are."

He gets a real sense of satisfaction from creating something as important as another person’s home.

“If you don’t take pride in it someone else is going to have to live with what you’ve produced, and it’s not nice to leave them with sub-standard brickwork.”

Away from work, Tyrone says he

and his brother are building a better life in their adopted country. They have their own place together, Tyrone has just got his licence and bought a car and the busy days have seen him shed 35kg in less than a year.

“I’m 22 and I haven’t had any money troubles since being over here. My bills are always paid, I’ve always got food in the cupboard, the fridge and freezer are always full, and I’ve still got money to spend.”

Some of that money is sent back to New Zealand to support his family.

Tyrone is hugely appreciative of the support he has received from AJP, particularly his supervisor Simon Evans who has been a friend and mentor since the day they met.

“It’s good when you finally hear someone say that they’re proud of you. It’s a good feeling to have when there are people who will support you that much.”

Anthony says he “could not be prouder” of how Tyrone has turned his life around since joining AJP.

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“But we can’t take all the credit for this success story and want to thank Ryman for introducing Tyrone to us.

“Ryman doesn’t just create positive retirement experiences, they create opportunities for everyone involved in their projects.”

Opportunities aren’t something Tyrone saw a lot of growing up in New Zealand. He knows more than most 22-year-olds that when one comes along, you have to grab it as if your life depends on it. He knows that in his case, it probably did.

“Since being over here and being on my own with my brother it’s definitely helped me look up. I’m not looking at the ground anymore. I can see towards the future, I can see there’s definitely something here for me.

“No looking back.”

Pictured left: Tyrone Keatch Pictured right: Site Supervisor Simon Evans, Tyrone, foreman Mark Lumsden, and AJP Director Anthony Pickles. Photo credit: Greg Ford.

Christchurch Mosque appeal The team at Ryman Healthcare has raised $100,000 for the victims and families of the Christchurch terror attacks.

Ryman residents and staff rallied in the weeks after the March 15 attacks to hold a series of fundraising events which raised $45,000 for victims and their families.

Ryman has matched dollarfor-dollar the $45,000 raised and donated another $10,000 immediately after the attacks taking the total donated by the Ryman community to $100,000.

Gordon MacLeod said the money would go directly to the Victim Support appeal.

"The response from everyone

in the Ryman community has been humbling,'' Gordon said.

"I'd like to say thanks to everyone who took part in the fundraising – either by organising events or by donating.

"We hope the money helps to ease the burden faced by the families of victims and the survivors of the March 15 attacks.

"We also had members of staff affected directly and we've helped them as well.'’

Fundraising activities included bake sales, barbeques and mufti days.

All of Ryman’s Christchurch villages were placed in lockdown immediately following the attacks.

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Gordon praised the way staff handled the situation.

“Everyone pitched in to make sure that our residents were comfortable and cared for, it was an unprecedented situation, and everyone reacted superbly.’’

A company-wide silence was held following the attacks, and the team and residents at Margaret Stoddart village, which is about 200m from Al Noor Mosque near Hagley Park, have planted a special tree in remembrance of the victims.

Pictured: Flowers and messages

of support from New Zealanders.

Hamilton icon celebrated A striking new portrait of pioneering politician Hilda Ross has been unveiled at the village which is named after her.

Craig Primrose QSM revealed his vision of Dame Hilda, the first female MP for the National Party, in front of more than 150 village residents and guests, including National Party MP for Hamilton East, David Bennett.

Gordon MacLeod explained how the village came to be named back in 2002.

Ryman names its villages after respected local people.

“It was no surprise that Dame Hilda Ross was a very popular suggestion for our first village in Hamilton.

“Her contribution to the Hamilton community, to New Zealand and to the

world stage, was groundbreaking.

By putting the needs of women and children to the forefront, she forged a path in politics which made her a true pioneer.

“It was no surprise that Dame Hilda Ross was a very popular suggestion for our first village in Hamilton” “It truly is a privilege to be associated with a legacy as amazing as that.”

Commissioning her portrait to be put on display in the village was another way of paying tribute to that legacy, Gordon said.

The portrait was the latest in a series by Craig Primrose of village namesakes that

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Ryman has commissioned.

“Given that we have 34 villages, and counting, we think that should keep him busy for most of the next decade,” quipped Gordon.

David Bennett MP said it was great to see an icon of Hamilton recognised by Ryman and congratulated Craig on his painting.

He highlighted how Dame Hilda’s celebration of diversity was ahead of her time.

Craig said the painting took him about six weeks and he was delighted by the result.

Pictured: David Bennett MP, Sales Advisor Trish de Jong, Village Manager Wendy Taylor and Gordon MacLeod.

Ryman secures tenth site in Victoria Its second retirement village in Melbourne may have only just officially opened, but Ryman Healthcare is not resting on its laurels in Victoria.

Recently Ryman announced the purchase of its tenth site in the state, with construction set to begin in earnest at two of them.

Ryman has bought a 2.2-hectare site in a prime Ringwood East location in Melbourne, Senior Development Manager James Weight said.

James said as soon as he and his team found the site on Mt Dandenong Road they knew it was a “must have”.

“We set a really high bar for where we want to build a village.

“You can build a world-class facility but if it’s not in the right location it’s not going to provide the lifestyle and experience our residents deserve.”

The Ringwood East site “ticked all the boxes for a fantastic retirement village”.

“Sites like this don’t come along very often – if at all – so we’re really excited to have secured it.”

The property, 24km east of Melbourne’s CBD, is nestled into Ringwood Lake Park, a beautiful 8.5-hectare bushland reserve with shared pathways, a pond, playground and barbecue areas.

“The park will provide a beautiful backdrop to the village and provide residents a pristine, protected natural environment right on their doorstep,” James said.

But Ringwood Lake Park isn’t the only thing that will be right on

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the proposed village’s doorstep.

Eastland Shopping Centre, which has more than 200 stores, a cinema complex and restaurants, and Ringwood train station are both just a short walk away.

“Sites like this don’t come along very often – if at all – so we’re really excited to have secured it.”

Construction at Ryman’s Burwood East site is in the early stages, and work at its Geelong site is due to begin in the coming weeks.

The company also has sites for proposed villages in Mt Eliza, Mornington, Coburg, Aberfeldie and Ocean Grove at various stages of the design and consenting process.

Pictured: The new site is within walking distance to the heart of Burwood East.

'Granny Melba's' legacy cemented at village opening The closest living link to Australian opera icon Dame Nellie Melba has officially opened the Nellie Melba Retirement Village, named in her honour.

Lord Samuel Vestey, Dame Nellie's great-grandson, travelled from the UK to Australia to open the village in Wheelers Hill.

Around 300 residents, staff and guests celebrated the opening, with Lord Vestey joining Gordon MacLeod to officially hand over the village to its residents.

Lord Vestey toured the village and said he was impressed with what he saw.

"It's a wonderful place. It's just the sort of thing Granny Melba would have been thrilled about and she would have been very pleased to lend her name to."

Gordon said grand openings were all about saying thank you to the huge team of people who had contributed so much work.

"I remember the day we bought the site – it was the biggest investment in our history and we

knew it had huge potential for this community," Gordon said.

"The land was the right size and our success down the road at Weary Dunlop village had proven that there was strong demand for a Ryman village in this part of Melbourne.

“This village will be a place of people and a place of compassion, and we're determined to create a proud legacy here.”

"So we bought it, and then our team of architects and designers led by Taylor Allison came up with this stunning design, which met with neighbour and with council approval. ''And then the hard work began for Travis Cocks and the rest of the construction team.

"Once the site was well under way we could start selling, and Eileen Kielty and the operations team began recruiting and preparing to welcome our first residents.

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"Many of our employees here and around the country have put in countless hours to get us to the point we are at tonight, they have put in a huge effort and gone beyond the call of duty."

Gordon's biggest vote of thanks went to the residents and their families for putting their faith in Ryman.

"This village will be a place of people and a place of compassion, and we're determined to create a proud legacy here."

As part of its commitment to honouring Dame Nellie's legacy, Ryman established a scholarship for an emerging operatic star through the Melba Opera Trust.

Samuel Piper, the inaugural recipient of the trust's Ryman Healthcare Scholarship, performed at the opening alongside fellow Melba Opera Trust scholars Tessa Hayward and Adam McMillan.

Pictured: Dame Nellie's greatgrandson Lord Vestey addresses the guests at the opening ceremony.

Ready to eat and Delicious!

Ryman has launched its new range of ready to eat meals to great fanfare at Bert Sutcliffe Retirement Village in May. Samples of the five different meals, made using recipes from Ryman’s Delicious menu, were offered to residents to try at the special event, with Bert Sutcliffe being the first village in the first phase to be rolled out.

Residents also received a goodie bag containing a voucher for a free frozen meal, a menu and price list of the meals and a jar of old-fashioned sweets made by Sweet Haven.

In front of a big audience in the balloon-decked village centre, Andrew Gibson, Ryman’s Hotel Services Manager, explained how the idea had come about.

“It’s all about giving you, the residents, more options for a quick and easy meal, which is tasty too!” he said.

“We have used signature dishes from our Delicious menu, which are created by our own chefs. The only one we’ve added that’s different is the lamb shanks in red wine because the length of cooking time is normally too long.”

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There were three main-sized – beef cheeks, tarragon chicken and lamb shanks – and two smaller sized meals – macaroni cheese and cottage pie.

Bert Sutcliffe’s Head Chef, Kumar Mekala, also told residents that nutritionally, the frozen meals were just as healthy, if not healthier than preparing from fresh.

“Fresh vegetables, from the time they are harvested to being served at the table can lose 50% of their nutritional value whereas with this, the vegetables are snap frozen as soon as they’ve been harvested.”

Andrew said he and his team had worked on the initiative over the last 12 months and it was the result of a brainstorming session with Ryman suppliers The Pure Food Co and United Fisheries to tackle a gap in the food market.

The packaging had been designed in-house by graphic designer Laura Ralph, with the intention of tying it in with the existing Delicious branding.

Specialty foods manufacturer Frozen Fresh were chosen to produce the meals in New Zealand while in Australia, the meals will be produced within the individual

villages using blast freezers.

Andrew said the meals were available to buy from within the village café or if the village didn’t have a café, from the shop. They will also be available to staff.

“It’s all about giving you, the residents, more options for a quick and easy meal, which is tasty too!”

The larger sized meals are priced at $12 each or $32 for three, and the

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smaller sized meals are $6.50 each or $16 for three.

Pictured opposite page: Ryman Hotel Services Manager Andrew Gibson and Chef Kumar Mekala with the meals.

Pictured above left: Activities and Lifestyle Coordinator Caitlin Young.

Pictured top right: Chef Kumar Mekala.

Pictured bottom inset : Activities and Lifestyle Coordinator Caleb Lepper, Caitlin Young, Kumar Mekala, Receptionist Nina Kluge and Housekeeper Jeannie Wang.

myRyman wins in Singapore Ryman Healthcare’s threeyear quest to build an app that eliminated paperwork and improved quality of life for residents has won a top international award. myRyman won the top prize in the Innovation of the Year Residential Care Model category at the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards in Singapore in May. The care app was a finalist in two other categories at the awards for the best innovations in aged care in the Asia Pacific region. The awards attracted more than 200 entries from 17 countries.

The myRyman Care app runs on tablets in each of the 3,500 care rooms. It's easy to use and means that nurses and carers can update care records in the room, in real time, while they are with the resident.

Gordon MacLeod said the win was great recognition for a large team who had turned an idea into reality.

“It has been a massive team effort to build our own app from scratch and turn it into something that has made a real improvement to the care of our residents.

“Not only has it done what it set

out to do – get rid of paperwork – but the data we’re collecting from it means we better understand care outcomes and it allows us to lift our standards of care even higher. We think it has huge potential, and we’re delighted all this work has been recognised.”

Ryman was the most successful New Zealand company at the awards, which have been held in Singapore for the past seven years.

“It’s all about people – improving care for our residents and making the job more satisfying for our care staff. No one signs up to sit behind a desk.” myRyman started out as an idea back in 2015 when Chief Operations Officer Barbara Reynen-Rose went looking for an off-the-shelf electronic system for care in the United States but couldn’t find one she liked.

The decision was taken to build Ryman’s own version. myRyman Care was a revolution for care, Barbara said.

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“When you’ve been used to filling out a lot of paperwork all of your career, it is a big thing to go electronic. But everyone involved in the pilot loved it because the team did a great job at making the app easy to understand.

“The hard thing is developing these apps in a way that is user-friendly and intuitive – and the team created something that everyone can use.

“It’s a bit like moving from a landline to using a smart phone. Once you’ve done it, you never look back.”

Barbara said residents and their families could be assured that care plans were being read and updated, and everything staff needed to be aware of was there.

Care staff no longer had to spend time at the nurses’ station entering what they’d written down.

“It’s all about people – improving care for our residents and making the job more satisfying for our care staff. No one signs up to sit behind a desk.”

Pictured: Ryman's New Zealand Operations Manager Liz Dilger with Retirement Villages Association Chief Executive John Collyns.