Keyton CEO Nathan Cockerill has been taking every opportunity to champion wellbeing as a key value proposition for retirement villages, and Keyton in particular. At the Property Council Retirement Outlook NSW seminar last week he firmly stated wellbeing is non negotiable.
He explained that in addition to having wellbeing focused staff, Keyton is reviewing even its community facilities to create different areas for different styles of residents. For instance, the outgoing personality style resident will have meeting places (like the bar we assume), while the quieter resident will have smaller, more intimate spaces in the community areas.
In the same week Keyton sponsored a major article in the Weekend Australian, expanding the wellbeing concept to social and planning policy. Retirement villages deliver better health and wellness outcomes than staying in the oversized family home, so planning bureaucrats should support the creation of more retirement villages.
He concluded:
“And finally, we need to continue improving and evolving the sector by focusing on discovering innovative ways to improve every community and resident’s lifestyle and overall wellbeing.”
Days later, Kevin McCoy, CEO of Levande, also appeared in a full-page article in The Australian.
He explained that retirement villages are the perfect place for baby boomers to age and opening up planning approvals is required to deliver large-scale investment to support this expanding group.
He said EQT would ramp up its investment in Australia over the next five years, by which time it hoped to deliver up to 800 new retirement units annually.
What both these media excursions tell us is that the major village players are mobilising behind the deep research and advocacy work that the Retirement Living Council, led by Daniel Gannon, has been delivering over the past 12 months.
It is well timed given the Federal health and ageing portfolios are for the first time recognising retirement villages as a legitimate source of seniors housing, with care efficiently delivered.
And wellness is one of the cheapest methods of reducing the financial burden on hospitals and residential care. It should be non negotiable.