Byron Cannon (right), CEO of LDK Seniors’ Living, was asked by David Waldie (left), Founder and Managing Director at eevi, at last week’s LEADERS SUMMIT: “Is aged care now health care?”
“I answered that I thought it should be “Aged Services”. There are a number of reasons for my thinking,” Byron told The SOURCE.
“Ageing in place as a concept is here to stay and it is refreshing to feel a mindset change in the industry. The consumer demands it, and it is up to us as an industry to meet those demands. Nominating that aged care is health care, in my mind, narrows the focus to care only. The holistic wellness of our residents is more than pure healthcare. They need many elements in their atmosphere to provide the best customer experience possible, as well as promote their health and wellbeing as a whole.”
LDK Seniors’ Living’s villages are The Landings at North Turramurra, 20km northwest of Sydney’s CBD, and Greenway Views, in Tuggeranong, ACT, where the second stage has been released. On-site care teams are available 24/7 if needed.
“Having a ‘Service’ mentality across the entire business enables us to focus on what our residents want and deliver the best outcomes. All aspects of the consumer experience require a strong focus on service – whether it is the meal that was just served; the welcome we provide to residents and their friends each day; the experience with our finance team; the simplicity in our contracts and service model; the making of a cup of tea when needed; or the care that we provide. Health care is a critical component to what we need to do, but the needs of the consumer are much broader than that. By having a service mentality, we give ourselves the best opportunity to satisfy our consumers needs and wants on a day-to-day basis,” said Byron, who was talking with eevi’s Mr Waldie and EQT Group’s Sam Franklin.
“Having a workforce that is connected and committed to making a difference to the lives of our residents each and every day, helps to promote that service mentality and then delivers on the value proposition to our consumer. A by-product of the service mindset is a satisfied and fulfilled workforce. This can become self-generating as our residents live longer; are happier and more satisfied; and in turn we have an engaged workforce aligned to those outcomes.
“If operators and our workforce adopt a service mentality and strive each day to deliver the very best resident outcomes, we will enhance our consumer experience, drive demand for our product and create value in our businesses through a strong value proposition. We will also have satisfied residents and a fulfilled workforce.”
Ageing in place is being increasingly adopted widely by many retirement living operators.
