Annah`s new look for Ryman staff

Autumn 2015
Annah’s new look
for Ryman staff
Ryman uniforms go high fashion
2
Ryman Times
A note
from
Simon
Annah’s high-fashion
look for Ryman staff
Caregivers
Gidday and welcome
to a busy edition of the
Ryman Times.
There’s a lot going on as usual but two things stand
out for me in this issue – the new Annah Stretton
uniforms and the Kindness Awards.
For some time staff have been telling us about the
issues they have with our uniforms, with the lack of
trousers for nurses and caregivers probably being the
most common complaint.
We asked Annah Stretton to come up with new
designs that were beautiful to wear, and also practical
for staff.
We not only want you to love what you’re wearing to
work, we also think that our residents will also get a
lift from seeing everyone in such beautiful outfits.
It is a radical departure from the past. But the
response has been tremendous.
The change will only work if we listen to your
concerns. I’m aware that it is hard to please
everyone, but we’re confident we can get close and
come up with uniforms that are really special.
Housekeeper/
laundry
Speaking of feedback we’ve been overwhelmed
with the response to the Kindness Awards. We had
more than 800 nominations, and some tremendous
comments and examples of kindness at work
everywhere in Ryman.
You will not have to wait long for the results and
we’re planning something special for the winners and
the people who nominated them at each village and
head office.
I was also tickled to see the terrific response to the
new training opportunities at Princess Alexandra. The
recognition, through training and qualifications, of
the great role our housekeepers play in our villages is
long overdue. I hope to see every housekeeper in the
company signed up for NZQA recognition.
Registered
nurse
I was also inspired by the hard work and talent of
Betelehem Ketema and Seth Keepa – two young
members of the wider Ryman family who have very
bright futures ahead.
There’s plenty more to read so please enjoy this
edition of the Ryman Times and I hope you’re
inspired by some of the stories you find in these
pages. I know I was, although it may be too late for
an NRL contract for me!
Simon Challies
Ryman Managing Director
3/4 trousers
3
Ryman Times
The design brief for Annah Stretton and her team was simple new uniforms that were comfortable, practical and beautiful.
The designs
Staff feedback
“We wanted garments that brought a smile to the
faces of residents, increase the level of pride in what
staff wear and emphasise the vital role they play in
residents’ lives,’’ Annah says.
Ryman staff members have provided a large amount
of feedback for the prototype designs which has
been taken on board as the team works towards the
final versions.
The designs are based on high fashion items that sell
in Annah’s stores around the country and are being
manufactured by Arrow Uniforms.
The key concerns have been around the safety
and modesty provided by the necklines, the
number of pockets, identification of nurses,
practicality of sleeves and whether or not nurses
can wear the trousers.
There were plenty of oohs and aahs at the first
showings to staff in Auckland and Christchurch.
Senolita Vea, a senior caregiver at Essie Summers
Retirement Village in Christchurch, was a model for
the first showing and loved her new look.
“I felt like I was getting dressed to go out, I didn’t
feel like I was meant to be going to work in this. It
feels just beautiful,’ she said.
Each garment has been developed specifically with
different roles in mind, so that the designs and
textiles suit the task. For example laundry staff
have a much lighter fabric because they work in a
warm environment.
We asked Annah to answ
er
Not all Ryman employees are built the same way and
the uniforms feature flattering cuts that will work on
different body types. They feature practical trousers
for caregivers and plenty of pockets.
But they’re also designed to be beautiful – with
features such as floral prints, bows and stylised
Ryman logos.
Annah stressed that she and her team were open to
feedback because they wanted to ensure staff loved
what they wore to work.
“We’re looking forward to the day we see you
walking down the street in your uniforms.’’
the most common questio
ns we’ve received from
Q: Will the fabrics be breath
able because
we work in hot environment
s?
staff:
Q: Are the caregivers’ pan
ts 3/4 length or full length
?
A: 3/4s at this stage but thi
s may be subject to chang
e.
Q: Will the housekeepers’
pinnies be so large they sna
g
on things?
A: The housekeepers’ apr
on has been removed, the
only apron we have now is
to be worn by the carers
when they serve food in the
dining rooms
Q: Can the housekeepers’
sleeves be shortened to
prevent the sleeves hangin
g in the toilet when
cleaning?
A: Yes. They will be a 100%
polyester-based
fabric (the same as curren
tly used) to give
them long-term wearability,
and the loose-fitting
nature of the garments wil
l allow breathability.
Q: Will the cowl neckline
for nurses and caregivers
be
appropriate since we bend
over a lot in the course
of our work?
A: Absolutely. The necklin
es have been well thought
through and the cowl has
been reduced in size
considerably from the first
samples to ensure that
A: These sleeves are above
safety has been considere
the elbow and relatively
d.
fitted so won’t be a proble
m.
Q: Will there be pockets,
especially for caregivers
Q: Reception can be a chi
lly place because it is usually
and nurses?
in
a large open area. Will the
front of house uniforms
A: Yes. The pockets have
be
wa
rm
enough? Will there be a jac
been well considered. The
ket?
re
will be plenty of pockets in
A: Yes front of house will
each design, we are very
hav
e a lined jacket.
aware of how important the
y are.
Q: Will the uniforms suit ful
ler figure staff?
Q: Will there be a trouser
and tunic option for nurse
A: Absolutely. Many fuller
s?
figure employees have trie
A: Yes. There will be a tun
d
on similar garments at the
ic and dress option for nurse
evenings we had in our
s.
Auckland and Christchurch
Q: Will the male managers
stores.
and other staff wear ties
and waistcoats to tie in wit
Q:
Ca
n
we
get a maternity version of
h the design of the
the uniforms for
other uniforms?
when ‘the bump’ appears?
A: Front of house men we
A: Most of the styles will wo
ar a tie, waistcoats have no
rk we
t
been considered.
women, they have been des ll for a pregnant
ign
many different figure shapes ed to accommodate
.
4
Ryman Times
Ulysses Motorcycle Club
Saturday
Night
Fever
Auckland’s new 79-year-old
Travolta struts his stuff
Nola
Ellen, Al and
"Tony" and "Al Pharrell"
"T
at the premiere
A group of Auckland retirement village
rresidents has proven you’re never too
o
old to disco.
end - they gave me five days. It was
a mammoth effort with a lot of great
people. We loved it.”
TThe group teamed up with staff from
tthe Edmund Hillary Retirement Village
tto create their own tribute to create
80-odd years of disco - their own parody
8
of the 1977 hit Saturday Night Fever
o
w
which has received close to 150,000 hits
o
on YouTube and national coverage on
TTVNZ’s One News.
Cookie Lax, who plays one of Tony’s
many potential love interests, loves disco
and jumped at the chance of being in the
music video.
B
Back in ’77 David Woodall - aka John
TTravolta’s Tony Manero - was busy
rraising three children with his wife
LLynn and building a new home in
B
Blockhouse Bay.
Ken Kelsey, 74, is a keen runner who
plays a cool disco dude in the video.
SSome 37 years later 79-year-old David
iis the new Travolta, strutting his way
tthrough all the hits from the movie.
“I owned a record shop in South Africa
for 17 years so I love music. We love
disco, rock n’ roll and jazz so it really was
great fun.’’
“It really was like running a marathon - it
was really tiring. I’d never done anything
like it before but I’d do it again.’’
The video features 52 residents and staff
with a combined age of 3,900 years.
“
“My legs and ankles were killing me
after wearing high heel boots for 50
hours of filming. The best thing about it
was the camaraderie with the rest of the
dancers, it was terrific.’’
The aim of the video - aside from
providing a fun exercise for residents and
staff - is to promote positive ageing and
demonstrate that you are never too old
to disco.
He said it took him a week to recover.
Meanwhile 80-odd-years-of-Happy, the
viral video made by residents at Diana
Isaac, has now attracted 7.1 million hits
on YouTube.
“It took Travolta seven months to get
in shape, I was thrown in the deep
Ray and Hazel
Some of our stars of the
dance floor!
Making hay while the sun shines
Ryman Times
From left: project manager Gary Cox, foreman
Fred Cleaver, and apprentice Scott Rawson at the
Bob Scott building site in Petone
Some great summer weather and a
lot of hard work by the construction,
development and design teams has
resulted in great progress across all
new build and refurbishment sites.
Pukekohe
Our new village at Pukekohe has been blessed
by local iwi and given the go-ahead by the
Auckland Council.
Earthworks are under way on the 6.58 hectare
green field site and Ryman’s construction team is
planning to hand over the first stage of the village
early next year.
There were more than 400 names registered on the
sales database before the first stage went on sale,
which bodes well for the village.
It is a dream come true for Pukekohe local and
regional construction manager David Gibson who has
been telling everyone for years that it is a good place
for a village.
Bruce McLaren
At the Bruce McLaren village in Howick the last two
stages are a work in progress. Matt Crawford and the
construction team have been busy keeping up with
the pace of Chrissie Baker’s sales, and the village has
been built pretty much as quickly as it has been sold
down and has proved there is no shortage of demand
in Auckland.
Birkenhead
Across the harbour bridge Matt Hutchinson and
the team have made great strides in getting the
Birkenhead site under way, with a good dry spell
helping with the extensive earthworks programme.
The site is really taking shape quickly and the first
concrete pour has taken place. It will be the first of
many pours.
Weary Dunlop
In Melbourne, the Weary Dunlop team is busy
completing the third stage, with structural work on
stage four under way. After that there is one stage to
go, which should be complete next year.
Bob Scott
The new Bob Scott village is taking shape
in Petone. The village is Ryman’s first using a base
isolation system to guard against earthquake damage.
While the foundations and base isolation system
make it a slightly more complicated build, the first
stage is now well out of the ground and progress is
rapid on the next stages.
Other village upgrades
In New Plymouth and Waikanae the building teams
are adding final stages to the Jean Sandel and Charles
Fleming villages.
Further south in Christchurch the final touches are
being made at Essie Summers and its grand opening
is set for May 15. That will be a great chance to throw
a party to mark the end of a $20 million rebuild
which has almost doubled the village’s capacity and
given it a new lease of life after the earthquakes.
The property refurb team has also been busy.
Extensive refurbishment work is continuing at Malvina
Major and work to freshen up Frances Hodgkins and
Woodcote is drawing to a close.
Ngaio Marsh, Shona McFarlane and Malvina Major all
have new bowling greens.
Landbank development plans
On the development front, work is continuing to
develop plans for all the sites in our landbank. These
include Rangiora, Greenlane, Devonport, Lynfield,
Brandon Park (Melbourne), and Newtown villages.
5
6
Ryman Times
More than 400 residents and guests were
invited to celebrate the grand opening of the
Bruce McLaren Retirement Village in Howick.
The $120 million village was officially opened on
December 19 by Jan McLaren, Bruce McLaren’s
sister, and Greeta Hulme, widow of motor racing
great Denny Hulme.
Bruce McLaren was born in Auckland and went on
to become one of the most successful Kiwi motor
racers of his generation.
Residents Kay Webb and Shirley Watkins
As well as a superb driver – Bruce won his first grand
prix in 1959 at the age of 22 – he was also an
innovative engineer and team manager. In 1963 he
founded the McLaren Racing team, the Formula 1
team that is still a major force in racing today.
Bruce was killed in a testing accident in 1970 at the
age of 32. The new village has been named in
honour of his contribution to putting New Zealand
on the map in the motorsport.
Jan McLaren said Bruce was well recognised
internationally, and it was great to see a tribute to
him in his home city.
“It’s nice to his name remembered on something
permanent outside of the motorsport community.
We were pleased to be asked.’’
nson
and Philip Ha
allies, Matt Crawford
Ch
on
Sim
r,
ke
Ba
lage
Chrissie
d opening of the vil
celebrating the gran
Jan McLaren and Greeta Hulme with Simon Challies
Ryman Times
Chris Amon MBE, who drove for McLaren, said it
was great to see his friend remembered.
“He was a remarkable man. He was one of those
people who never had a bad word to say about
anybody, and he achieved an incredible amount at a
young age which made him even more remarkable.’’
The Bruce McLaren Retirement Village will eventually
be home to 400 people and includes independent
living apartments as well as hospital-level care.
Ryman managing director Simon Challies said he
was delighted the family agreed to lend the name.
“Bruce McLaren was an incredibly talented New
Zealander and an inspiration. He showed what Kiwi
ingenuity and a competitive spirit can do. We’re
incredibly proud to have been able to name this
village in his honour.’’
The motorsport theme runs throughout the village
with two of the first apartment complexes named
after Chris Amon and the third part of the McLaren
racing trio - Denny Hulme.
The village had already broken a number of speed
records for Ryman, Simon Challies said.
“There must be something in the name,’’ he said.
“It’s been one of our fastest built village, and the
fastest selling in our 30-year history.’’
The McLaren Spider and the Austin Ulster
About Bruce
McLaren
Bruce McL
aren grew up in
Remue
local petrol stat
ion. He had a pa ra, where his dad owned the
ssion for cars fr
and in 1958 he
om an early ag
was selected as
e,
New Zealand’s
young driver.
most promising
He left for Engl
and where he
joined the Coo
and his internat
per racing team
ional racing ca
,
reer soon took
off.
In 1959 the yo
ung New Zealan
de
Prix at the age
of 22, and wen r won the United States Grand
t on to notch up
Grand Prix win
s in his career.
another three
He stayed at C
ooper for anot
her seven year
set up his own
s, before leavin
Grand Prix raci
g to
ng enterprise,
Team McLaren
Bruce McLaren
.
won the Belgia
n Grand Prix at
own car, which
Spa
featured the ‘S
peedy Kiwi’ logo in 1968 in his
version of the
Speedy Kiwi is
.
still used as McL A stylised
aren’s logo toda
His Can Am ca
y.
rs dominated ra
cing in North A
to late 1960s.
merica in the m
He was in his pr
id
ime as a driver,
team leader in
an
1970 when he
was killed while engineer and a
testing a new ca
His legacy lives
r.
on
become one of in the McLaren team, which
has gone on to
the most succes
sful teams in Fo
history, winning
rmula One
20 championsh
ips.
Bruce McLaren
lived life to the
full, and his ha
competitivenes
rd work and
s were an insp
iration to those
around him.
“It would be a
waste of life to
do nothing with
feel that life is
one’s ability, fo
measured in ac
rI
hievement, no
– Bruce McLaren
t in years alone.
’’
7
8
Ryman Times
Wellington student wins
2015 Cashin Scholarship
scholarship was set up after he passed away in 2010
to honour his legacy.
The scholarship is open to Ryman staff members and
their families, and each year members of the Cashin
family help select the winner.
Blair Cashin, Mike’s son, said Betelehem was a
deserving winner.
“We had close to 130 applicants this year and it is
always hard to decide, but Betelehem’s application
really stood out. She’s got a busy year ahead and we
hope the scholarship will help make it easier.’’
Ryman Healthcare deputy chief executive Gordon
MacLeod said it was great to see a staff member
doing so well.
B t l h
Betelehem
Ketema
K
t
iis th
the winner
i
of the 2015 Cashin Scholarship.
The 18-year-old student has won a $5,000 grant to
pay for her studies at Otago University where she is
beginning a Bachelor of Oral Health degree this year.
Betelehem works part-time at Rita Angus
Retirement Village in Kilbirnie, where her mother
Azeb Kebede also works as a caregiver.
Three of Betelehem’s sisters – Rahel, Eskedar and
Jerusalem also work at the village.
The family moved to New Zealand as refugees
from Ethiopia when Betelehem was three. Azeb
moved here on her own with her five children, and
she adopted two of her younger sisters as well.
The family of eight made a new life in Wellington.
Betelehem said the money would help pay for her
studies.
“We’re really thrilled for Betelehem and we wish her
the best with her studies in Dunedin this year. We’re
also delighted to continue
the relationship with the
Cashin family.’’
About the
Cashin Scholarship
larship
The Cashin Scholarship was established in 2011 in
memory of Ryman director Mike Cashin.
Mike was a passionate believer in the power of
education to change lives and the intention is to give
members of the wider Ryman family a helping hand.
“It’s absolutely amazing, I’m so grateful and happy
right now. I feel so blessed.’’
The scholarship is offered to Ryman staff and their
families who want to take on tertiary study. This can
include children and grandchildren of staff.
Her plan is to complete her studies and then she’d
like to spend some time working in dentistry in
Ethiopia – to give something back – before settling
long term in New Zealand.
Entries are opened in December and the winner
announced ahead of the start of the tertiary year in
late January or early February.
She’s worked as a kitchen hand, laundry assistant
and as a cleaner at Rita Angus to raise funds for
university.
The winner is selected by members of the Cashin
family and Ryman staff.
“I love it at Rita Angus, the people are so nice,
they’re all lovely.’’
The Cashin Scholarship was set up in memory of
former Ryman director Mike Cashin.
Mike was a huge believer in the power of
education to change lives and was a great
advocate of Ryman Healthcare and its staff. The
The $5000 is intended to go towards study costs.
Any enquiries contact:
[email protected]
Previous winners:
2015: Betelehem Ketema
2014: Allie Smithers
2013: Charlotte Steele
2012: Fozia Tasheem
Ryman Times
9
Searching for the
kindest of the kind
We’ve been overwhelmed with nominations
for our Try a Little Kindness Awards and we
thought we’d share with you a few of the
comments we have received.
The awards are aimed at recognising the people
that we hear about all the time, but don’t get the
chance to recognise formally. They’re the people
who light up the lives of their residents, colleagues
and families at each village.
A couple of the comments included;
“Warmth and kindness radiate off her and she is
genuinely great company, a great friend and great
person. She has so much to offer.’’
“Not only is she bubbly and caring, but she does
nice unexpected things for everyone! She would put
butterfly stickers on a walker, sing to residents,
butter
and bring posies of flowers or a sprig of
an
blossom for them.’’
Try a little
Kindnсs
The Kindness Team is working on ways to
recognise the winners – and the people
who nominated them – so stay tuned for
more developments.
Super Seth off
to a flying start
Ryman staff have rallied to support
the fledgling career of a young star.
Seth Keepa-Tauamiti, the son of Diana Isaac
caregiver Ange Keepa, was last year selected
for an elite NRL training scholarship with
Wests Tigers.
At 15 years old and 108kg, Seth is a great
young rugby league talent and the club offered
him the chance to study in Australia on a
three-year scholarship which could lead to a
professional contract.
The only catch for the family was that they had to
meet Seth’s boarding and travel expenses - $35,000
0
for the next three years.
Ange has worked at Ryman for a long time, and has
four other children to support on a single income.
When she told her then manager Jenny Thiele that
it was probably beyond the family’s means, Jenny
stepped in to set up a crowdfunding campaign on
givealittle.co.nz.
Ryman and its staff have pitched in, and the fund
now stands at more than $23,000. The media
picked up on the story as well, with coverage on
TV3, TVNZ and in the newspapers.
itcase before
th shopping for a su
Ange, Jenny and Se
Australia
Seth headed off to
Ange was overwhelmed by the support which
allowed Seth to head over to Australia to start his
studies. Seth has trained in Sydney with the Tigers,
and has been selected for the A-team at his school.
“He’s been a bit homesick and we’re all missing him,
but he’s going really well. He’s gone up a shoe size
already so he’s still growing.’’
As well as a sports talent Seth is also an academic
star, and in the long term he’d like to complete a
law degree.
10
Ryman Times
Blazing a trail for
foreign-trained nurses
Melanie Asuncion is living proof that there are no
limits for foreign-trained nurses in New Zealand.
The Ryman Healthcare nurse has shown that you can
go from caregiver to clinical manager in a few short
years by working hard and taking the opportunities
that come your way.
Melanie, the new clinical manager at Ryman
Healthcare’s Essie Summers Retirement Village
in Christchurch, says it is always good to have a
Plan B tucked up your sleeve.
She trained and worked as a pharmacist in the
Philippines, but a spell spent nursing her sick mother
made her realise her calling wasn’t in the dispensary.
“I nursed mum fulltime for six months when she was
really ill with cancer. I realised that patient contact and
caring for people who need help was really important
to me and that, although it sounds like a cliché,
nursing was a calling for me.’’
Her friends wondered why she would leave a
potentially more lucrative career as a pharmacist
behind, but she was determined that her future lay
in nursing. After qualifying, she had set herself the
ambition of moving to the United States to work in
acute care. She passed her tests and completed all
the paperwork but then a downturn meant that job
opportunities in the United States dried up.
Melanie’s move to New Zealand
Then she heard New Zealand was hiring. Although the
agency told her it would mean that she had to start
again as a caregiver, retrain and pass another round of
exams to qualify as a New Zealand-registered nurse,
she wanted to give New Zealand a go.
“New Zealand was my plan B but it was probably
fate that I should come here. There were three of us
who wanted to go together so that meant we could
support each other.’’
But she was in for a nasty shock – quite literally –
shortly after landing in Christchurch in September
2010. Canterbury was struck by a violent earthquake
which proved to be the forerunner of a series of
seismic events that caused severe destruction to her
adopted home.
“It was my first Saturday in Christchurch and I
thought ‘uh oh, have I done the right thing?’”
But she stuck with Christchurch, a place where
she’s been able to fulfil her ambition of landing a
significant leadership role in the care of older people.
She initially worked as a caregiver and then
completed a nine-week competency course at CPIT,
including a clinical training programme followed by
a seven-week course at Princess Margaret Hospital
specialising in the assessment, treatment and
rehabilitation of the elderly.
Joining Ryman
She joined Ryman Healthcare’s Essie Summers village
in 2012 as a nurse. Manager Rosemary Deane soon
realised her new recruit had great potential and
before long Melanie was running the resthome.
Meanwhile Essie Summers – formerly Beckenham
Courts – had gone through a $20 million rebuild and
doubled in size, which meant that a new position
was created for a clinical manager to oversee all the
caregiving and nursing operations.
Melanie landed the clinical manager’s role and now
the former nurse from the northern Philippines looks
after a brand-new purpose-built care centre on three
floors which will be home to more than 100 residents.
She doesn’t consider herself ambitious, but she
has a firm idea about where she wants to go in her
career. She sees herself as a clinical leader rather
than as a manager.
“Management is more about delegating. Leadership
is about setting an example and showing the way.’’
She says her background as a caregiver means she
understands the job from A to Z and she is happy to
pitch in with lifting residents or helping the caregivers
if she needs to.
“I love it here. It is a beautiful place and it is friendly people are very open.’’
She likes nursing older people because of the feeling
of happiness and fulfilment you get from nursing and
caring for them.
So what is her advice to young caregivers and nurses
thinking about moving to New Zealand?
“I’d say they should go for it. New Zealand is
an amazing country with beautiful people and
heaps of opportunities for them to practice their
profession and advance their nursing career.’’
Ryman Times
Housekeepers clean up in training stakes
The housekeepers at Princess Alexandra know a
good thing when they see it.
teams also have a monthly lunch when they meet
and go through their modules together.
When Ryman entered into a new training agreement
with the Government, which opened up new training
opportunities for housekeepers for the first time, 13
of the team signed up and are now steadily working
their way towards official recognition of their skills.
Princess Alexandra has 47 staff in some sort of
training at present, more than 25 per cent of the
team. Jen’s strategy is to get to staff to sign on early.
The housekeepers have signed up for an NZQA
level 2 qualification which means they can get the
same sort of recognition caregivers get.
Jen Talbot, the village’s in-service educator, has been
pleased with the take-up from the housekeeping team.
“It isn’t hard to sell. You can work here
and you are paid while you get your
qualifications. The qualifications are paid
for and they’re transportable. I think it’s
brilliant for housekeepers.’’
“I also look after inductions here so I get the forms
under their noses right away and we go from there. It
means I can get them at the front door.’’
Caregivers and housekeepers are being offered the
chance to train for NZQA-recognised qualifications.
To find out more talk to your village manager or contact
[email protected]
She says it recognises the important role
housekeepers play in the life of a village.
“As a nurse I’ve always been aware that
if you want to know something about
a resident you ask a housekeeper first.
They have a special relationship with
residents. The qualifications are a way
of recognising what they do. We never
want to hear anyone ever say ‘I’m just a
housekeeper’ again.’’
While it is up to each individual to do the
majority of the work the housekeeping
Ryman hairdresser
makes the final cut
Ryman Healthcare’s longest-serving hairdresser has hung up
her scissors for the last time.
Colleen Christall started as Woodcote’s hairdresser not long after
John Ryder and Kevin Hickman opened what was Ryman’s second
retirement village in Christchurch. After 26 years of cutting
residents’ hair she decided to retire in February.
“I’m just a spring chicken really but the time has come. I had a
hip replacement last year and after 50 years of hairdressing my
body is just a bit worn out. I’ve been crying all day today – I’m
going to miss everyone. The residents are a really big part of
my life.’’
Working as a village hairdresser was more than just cutting hair
and turning on the dryer.
“I’m a friend and a counsellor as well as a hairdresser. People
really confide in me. I know a lot about everyone’s families even
though I’ve never met them.’’
Colleen has lined up a replacement – she cut the residents’ hair
while Colleen was having her hip replaced – and she plans to
keep popping in to say hi.
Her retirement plans include trips with her travel group – known
as the Famous Five – who have completed seven overseas trips
together. Other travel plans include a trip to Melbourne to see
another former Woodcote staffer - sales manager Debbie McClure.
She also plans to spend more time with her grandchildren.
11
12
Ryman Times
Prime Minister
launches the
Ryman Prize
A US$150,000 (NZ$200,000) annual prize has been launched to reward the world’s
best advances that enhance quality of life for older people.
The Ryman Prize is an annual cash prize aimed at
rewarding excellence by creating the equivalent of a
Nobel Prize for innovation in the health of the elderly.
Dr Kerr said the prize could go to an initiative or
invention as simple as a new walking cane or mobility
device, or as complex as a medical advance.
An international jury has been convened to consider
applications, and the inaugural prize will be awarded
in August by Nobel Prize-winning biophysicist
Dr Erwin Neher.
“The fact is that the world’s population is ageing
quickly, and soon there will be more people than ever
before in the 75+ age bracket. That age group faces
a range of age-related illnesses on a scale never seen
before. We want to do whatever we can to improve
and enhance quality of life for this important group.’’
The prize was launched at the University of Auckland
by Prime Minister John Key.
Dr David Kerr, Chairman of Ryman Healthcare, said
the aim was to recognise the work of the brightest
and best thinkers around the world.
“We’re looking for the best discovery, invention,
medical advance, idea or initiative we can find
anywhere on earth. We’ve opened it up to the world’s
best thinkers. We’re hoping that, by offering such a
lucrative prize, we can do some genuine good in the
fight to enhance quality of life for older people.’’
The Ryman Foundation and the Ryman Prize
The Ryman Foundation is funding a US$150,000
annual prize. The money will be awarded to the best
invention, idea, research concept or initiative that
has enhanced the quality of life for the elderly. The
Ryman Foundation has been set up to administer
The Ryman Prize.
The Ryman Prize is awarded in New Zealand but
is open to anyone, anywhere in the world with a
bright idea.
The prize is a philanthropic initiative aimed at
improving the lot of those over 75 years of age. In
Western countries such as New Zealand and Australia
this is a significant demographic, this is set to triple in
numbers over the next 30 years. The prize pool has
come from an anonymous donor.
The prize money has been donated to The Ryman
Foundation to administer. Entries for the prize
close on May 29 and the inaugural winner will be
announced in August 2015.
The Ryman jury includes:
Dr Brian Draper, Conjoint Professor in the School of
Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales.
Professor Sarah Harper, Director of the Oxford
Institute of Population Ageing.
Fred Lee, a Florida-based health management
thinker, author and motivational speaker.
Professor Tim Wilkinson, consulting geriatrician
and Associate Dean of Medical Education, Otago
School of Medicine.
Dr Naoko Muramatsu, health and ageing research
specialist, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr Erwin Neher, Nobel Laureate and Professor at
the University of Göttingen, Germany. Dr Neher is a
biophysicist who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine
in 1991.
Dr David Kerr, Ryman Healthcare Chairman, Fellow
and Past President of the New Zealand Medical
Association, Fellow with Distinction of the Royal New
Zealand College of General Practitioners.
Ryman Healthcare Ltd PO Box 771, Christchurch Airport Business Park, 92 Russley Road, Christchurch • Phone 03 366 4069