Ryman Healthcare has shone on the international stage after winning a swag of awards at the ‘Oscars’ of the eldercare industry.
The retirement living and aged care provider won four categories at the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards in Singapore.
The company’s award-winning COVID-19 response was named ‘Innovation of the Year-Response to COVID-19 (Infection Control)’.
Ryman Healthcare Australia was named ‘Operator of the Year-Ageing in Place’ for its unique continuum of care model.
Ryman’s trans-Tasman Active Ageing ‘Walking for Wellness’ initiative won the ‘Innovation of the Year-Social Engagement Programme’ category.
And Weary Dunlop Retirement Village was crowned ‘Facility of the Year-Residential Aged Care’.
The Eldercare Innovation Awards recognise organisations in the Asia-Pacific who foster innovative approaches to ageing which enrich the quality of life for older people.
Ryman is the designer, owner, and operator of the ‘continuum of care’ model, which incorporates independent retirement living integrated with serviced apartments, home care services, and aged care centres providing low care, high care, and specialist dementia care.
Continuum of care, which is commonplace in New Zealand, but only emerging in Australia, allows residents to remain in the same community while meeting their care needs as they change.
The win recognises the outstanding health and wellbeing outcomes the model provides for residents by creating communities in which residents have known one another and staff for years before needing aged care.
Ryman’s award-winning COVID-19 response was praised for its innovative response to the pandemic which resulted in two years without a single aged care resident contracting the virus.
The company’s proactive response to infection control and resident and staff wellbeing included moving staff at a higher risk of contracting COVID into their villages, developing a digital contact tracing tool, and being the first aged care provider in Victoria to introduce rapid antigen testing of staff and visitors.
The win adds to the growing list of accolades for Ryman’s pandemic response, following awards from Leading Age Services Australia and the Victoria Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ryman’s ‘Walking for Wellness’ initiative, which encouraged thousands of residents in Victoria and New Zealand to walk 60km in 30 days, won the ‘Innovation of the Year-Social Engagement Programme’ category for its use of technology, exercise, and socialisation to boost health and wellbeing.
Cheyne Chalmers Ryman Healthcare New Zealand CEO said she was delighted that Walking for Wellness had been recognised.
"It was an event that fired up our residents' imaginations. They got fitter, healthier and built even stronger relationships with each other, so everyone won,” she said.
Ryman’s first Australian village, Weary Dunlop, which opened in 2014, was named ‘Facility of the Year-Residential Aged Care’.
The award recognises the exceptional care offered at the village, with family and resident feedback, optimal staff-to-resident ratios and a workforce model that fosters meaningful connections between residents and staff considered by award judges.
Ryman Healthcare Australia CEO Cameron Holland said the company’s awards success reflected the outstanding care and support offered to residents.
“We’re absolutely blown away to win four awards at the most prestigious aged are event in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Holland said.
“This is no small feat and is a true testament to the industry-leading approach taken by our village teams.
“Weary Dunlop’s best in Asia-Pacific aged care facility reflects the village’s exceptional staff who work with care, kindness, and professionalism to improve the wellbeing of residents.
“Ryman’s continuum of care model, and the unique ageing-in-place outcomes it achieves, truly sets us apart in Australia. Our residents have peace of mind knowing should their health needs change, they will be looked after within their community.
“Being recognised for our COVID-19 response is particularly satisfying.
“When the pandemic arrived in Australia it wasn’t just an existential threat to our villages, it was the most extreme examination of our values as a company.
“It’s easy to say that we put care and kindness for our residents at the heart of everything we do, but when covid arrived we showed that wasn’t just a slogan.
“The result was a world-leading response that literally saved countless lives, and was a defining achievement for our company.”
About Ryman: Ryman Healthcare was founded in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1984 and owns and operates 45 retirement villages in New Zealand and Australia.
Ryman villages are home to more than 13,200 residents, and the company employs over 6,700 staff. Ryman opened its first Australian village, Weary Dunlop, in Wheelers Hill in 2014. The company names all its villages after pioneering Australians and now has six more operational villages in Victoria: Nellie Melba in Brandon Park, John Flynn in Burwood East, Charles Brownlow in Geelong, Deborah Cheetham in Ocean Grove, Raelene Boyle in Aberfeldie, and Essendon Terrace in Essendon.
It has six more sites at various stages of the planning, design and construction process including in Essendon, Ringwood East, Mulgrave and Mt Eliza.
