Lifestyle Villages

Above- the Glenara Lakes Lifestyle Village team celebrate Christmas in style.

The end of the year is generally a very busy time for residents living in Lifestyle Villages; there are always a lot of family members coming to visit.

Most residents this year had family come to stay with them during the festive season (within COVID-19 restrictions and border closures). For a lot of residents at the newlycompleted Springhaven Lifestyle Village, this was the first time they had hosted their mainland family members in their new home.

Residents enjoyed their annual Christmas lunch in each Village Community Centre; a traditional meal prepared by the Southern Cross Care Catering team. In addition to the big Christmas lunch, many community groups within the Villages held their own end of year functions and awards presentations for competitions that were held throughout the year. Southern Cross Care Lifestyle Villages are a hive of community activity and networks, with bowls groups, singing groups, mahjong groups, craft groups, ladies’ groups and men’s groups.

Looking ahead to 2021, the Lifestyle Villages team plan to focus on improving service delivery to village residents and exploring different types of services that could made available.

There are plans in place for the next Resident’s General Forum. This is a quarterly state-wide meeting for resident-representatives of each Southern Cross Care Village and Aged Care Home, Board Members, CEO Robyn Boyd, Executive Manager Retirement Living Carol Joseph, and Executive Manager Care Services Jo Perry, to come together and discuss strategies for the future.

Implementation of the Retirement Living Code of Conduct is set to be underway in the first quarter of 2021. The Retirement Living Code of Conduct is a combined initiative of the Retirement Living Council and Leading Age Services Australia (LASA). Its aim is to ensure the best operational practice is in place for older people living in Villages, and to promote and protect their independence, privacy, dignity, happiness, safety and security. It includes a set of standards that Southern Cross Care should cover in its operations to meet resident’s needs, and includes all aspects of a residents’ experience: from signing the contract and moving into the village, living in the village, and exiting the village.

‘This year will really be about speaking to the residents to find out what they need and want and seeing if we can deliver it for them,’ Executive Manager Retirement Living Carol Joseph said.

‘For 2021 we aim for continuous improvement across the state with investment in both our residents and Villages to provide quality homes and supportive community environments.’

Above- Alice (7) and Darcy (5) enjoy the piping in of the New Year by the Derwent Scottish Pipe Band in the grounds of the Saint Canice Lifestyle Village, in Sandy Bay. The girls accompanied their grandmother, Saint Canice Residents Committee honorary secretary Sandra Reynolds, for the special event. Residents from the neighbourhood and other nearby retirement homes also joined villagers for what has become a popular community tradition each New Year’s Eve.

Above- the Springhaven Lifestyle Village community fruit and vegetable garden is flourishing.

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