‘Innovative’ care concept expands to Chch
Listed retirement village operator Summerset Holdings has bought land in Avonhead for its third Christchurch retirement village.
Summerset chief executive Julian Cook revealed the 9.5-hectare property is on Hawthornden Rd, close to the airport and recreational areas.
The village will also offer resthome, hospital care, and dementia care with a new ‘‘memory centre’’, which Cook said was an innovative concept in New Zealand.
He said the company’s $80 million Wigram village in Awatea Rd opened last October and was one of its fastest selling villages.
‘‘We’re working on the final villa stages now at Wigram and they’ll be complete next year. This will mark a three-year sell-down for the village.’’
Inquiries from potential buyers for licences to occupy were also being received for Summerset’s $100m village at Casebrook in Cavendish Rd, which was currently being built, Cook said.
Summerset will offer 240 homes at the planned Avonhead site, including two- and three-bedroom villas, apartments and serviced apartments.
The memory centre will offer residents their own one-bedroom apartment in a secure environment, rather than a single room.
Each care suite features a carpeted wall for residents to display photos, ‘‘enabling them to recognise their home, family and friends’’, Cook said.
They were modelled on international dementia design standards, allowing people living with the condition to lead active, productive lives. Friends and family were welcome to stay overnight.
Cook claimed Summerset was the first in New Zealand to launch this style of living for those with dementia, though other centres have variations of the concept.
The company opened its first memory centre at its new Levin village last year, and is building one in Hamilton.
‘‘These centres provide residents with the dignity and respect of having their home within a secure centre, purpose-designed for their needs,’’ Cook said.
Summerset said Christchurch’s population of about 23,600 people aged 75-plus was forecast to rise by almost 10,000 over the next five years.
Summerset now has 21 retirement villages in New Zealand catering for more than 4200 residents, and has another seven planned around the country.