Lady Margaret moved into her serviced apartment at Charles Fleming Retirement Village six years ago and says, it was just what she wanted.
Originally from England, Margaret lived in Fiji for many years before moving to Waikanae.
During the lockdown period Margaret said she was never bored. In fact, she ensures she is never at a loss for things to do. She keeps to a meticulous morning routine and at 97 still practises some of her yoga moves!
Margaret enjoys pottering in her garden on the balcony of her serviced apartment and keeps her brain active by doing two crosswords a day. And to relax there’s
always a good book to read or television to watch.
When the pandemic reached New Zealand’s shores, Margaret said she felt very secure living in the village. “The staff were very good,” she said. “They were
so cheerful and always had a smile for us.” And even though they were busy they made time for a chat with Margaret on their daily rounds of well-being checks.
Margaret was pleased at the efforts put in by Ryman to help keep residents safe during the lockdown. “They were very generous” she said, delivering fresh bread, milk and biscuits, and ‘Happy Hour in a Bag’ every week with lots of extras. Some of
the staff even did her grocery shopping for her.
She noticed the staff were always patient with residents and quick with a smile, even with such a lot going on in the village. Margaret feels happy where she lives and says she gives thanks every night for her comfort and security. Like many residents in Ryman Healthcare villages, Margaret has shown resilience and understanding during this challenging period.
At a time when residents in aged care were most vulnerable Ryman Healthcare
responded quickly, restricting visits to villages from late January for people who had travelled to affected areas overseas.
The aim was to keep Covid-19 out and protect all residents in care who were most vulnerable to the virus and create safe havens for residents by making sure they had everything they needed without having to leave while the Level 4 lockdown was in place.
They ensured residents could stay home by providing deliveries of essential items
such as groceries and medication.
Ryman delivered 9,000 Bidfood grocery orders and 56,000 ‘Happy Hour in a Bag’ packages over seven weeks and also rolled out Zoom to more than 3,800 devices and connected thousands of families in this way. They also delivered 70 new devices to each village to be used by serviced apartment residents to connect with family.
Along with providing fitness classes and games for residents (at a distance and online), Ryman continued to communicate with residents and families by email, delivering newsletters and keeping their website updated on the latest announcements.
As well as caring for the residents’ physical needs Ryman conducted welfare check calls and arranged counselling for anyone struggling.
As the restrictions ease, the community is buzzing again. New residents are excited to move into the village and others, who have found this time particularly trying, have decided to join the village to experience the security and comfort Margaret speaks of so highly.
Sales advisor Katie welcomes your call to arrange an appointment for you and a family member to tour the village, view the available serviced apartments and
discuss your retirement options. There is also a raft of information available online
at rymanhealthcare.co.nz
