HEART AND SOUL IN REMUERA
In two years Remuera’s boutique Rawhiti Estate retirement village and care facility has won international acclaim. But for its CEO and residents, the benefits are much closer to home.
At Rawhiti Estate, Remuera’s boutique retirement village and long-term care facility, they call it “the kitchen bench philosophy”. For Guy Eady, CEO of village owners The Begroup, the kitchen bench is a magnet.
“It’s the part of the house where everyone gathers at the end of the day for food and conversation, so the living areas in our village have been designed to encourage social interaction. These are places to build relationships with friends and family and start new friendships across the bench.”
Opened two years ago on the former Rawhiti Bowling Club site, the village has won international honours for its architecture and design, crafted to offer residents the opportunity to retire in style with friends and family close by. Eady says almost all its 99 residences are occupied - 68 bedsit-style care rooms and suites with lounges, 27 two- and three-bedroom independent living apartments and 20 beds in a separate area for memory loss.
“In our short period of operating we have probably become the pre-eminent provider of care within Remuera. We are probably one of the few that provide all options - independent living, hospital and memory loss care which is a feather in our cap.”
Within the village, “Our care philosophy is based on creating equal relationships, where the residents who call Rawhiti home are at the centre of everything we do,” Eady says.
“We provide leading-edge lifestyle and wellness programmes with volunteer and community support to stimulate and enhance our residents’ lives. We treasure our highly skilled staff and provide an environment where our people are inspired and their input and professional development is stimulated, encouraged and promoted.”
On-site healthcare is another feature. “We are licensed to provide up to rest-home level care within our independent living units. I don’t believe any other facilities in the area provide that service,” Eady points out. “Being an aged-care long-term stay hospital, naturally we have around the clock nursing care."
And the community surrounding Rawhiti is just as important to its residents’ wellbeing. “Often the first people who come and see us are the children of our prospective residents, who are looking for their parents,” Eady reflects.
“It’s always a family decision. We always have full family involvement and we welcome it both before people move in and afterwards. In fact, a lot of our families dine with us very regularly, so we are a small and quite unique little village – a little bit different to most.”
Rawhiti’s location in quiet and secluded Rangitoto Rd is a bonus. “We’re in the channel that takes people out from the city to suburbs such as Mission Bay and St Heliers so it’s very convenient for a lot of residents’ families to drop in on the way to and from work or shopping or the school run, so it works well for them.”
As well, neighbouring schools come in and provide entertainment so there’s a lot of ‘young and old’ involvement in the village, Eady adds.
So it’s not surprising there are few places available in Rawhiti. Eady encourages families thinking of making a move to get in touch now. “Even if you don’t move within the next two or three months, this is a good time to put your name down and talk to us about what options we have.”
And there’s one more benefit to life at Rawhiti. “It’s a pretty happy place,” Eady says. “While most of our residents tend to be in their 70s, 80s and 90s, we have a couple of 100-year-olds who are doing very well. They’re the people with the best stories – and they often have the sharpest minds!”