RSL LifeCare ANZAC Village, in Narrabeen, 23km north of Sydney’s CBD, which is the Not For Profit’s largest retirement living and aged care facility in NSW, held its Veteran March and Commemorative Anzac Service on Wednesday.
Air Commodore Nick Osborne (pictured below) presented the Anzac address with the laying of wreaths laid by Pipe Major Allan Watts. Residents were in attendance.
Image by Glenn Nicholls
NSW RSL is holding more than 600 commemorative events in communities across New South Wales. Getting involved in ANZAC Day is an opportunity for all Australians to come together, honor the sacrifice of our service men and women, and show support for our current and past members of the armed forces.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has created three commemorative posters that anybody can print.
“Display our Anzac Day poster to commemorate all those who have served during wars, conflicts and peace operations,” said the department.
“We also acknowledge First Nations veterans and Australian service in East Timor (now Timor-Leste).”
Image by Glenn Nicholls
Holding ANZAC Day events for residents in advance of 25 April is a great way Village Professionals can observe this important day on our calendar with residents in a way that still allows residents to attend events on the actional day, at locations they have likely been attending with mates for decades.
Embarking on my journey in this sector, I’ve really enjoyed visiting our participants at their Villages. I often hear that each Village is different, with its unique types of accommodation, locations, operator models, residents, age of assets, and sizes. However, amidst these differences, is a common thread binds them together—the unwavering dedication of Village Professionals enhancing the lives of their residents.
Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved
Mattie Stepanek
Last week we had the pleasure of visiting The Arbour Berry for our first DCM Institute Networking Meeting, and I’ve been asked to do some reflective learning of my own and share my takeaways.
Learning isn’t confined to a classroom
We have spoken about this before in previous articles, there is a lot you can take away from spending time with peers.
Online learning in the Knowledge Centre is a key part of your development as a Village Professional, but there is real magic that happens when you get to sit in a room, around a table, or have a coffee and share ‘war stories’, as one person called it the other day.
Through casual conversations we were able to walk away with articles to look into reading, and insightful tips to help us develop a new problem-solving skill. Taking the time to network with peers presents an opportunity to expand our horizons.
Knowledge becomes wisdom after it is put to use
What was fascinating was sitting around a table of Village Professionals who had been in the role from 15 years to 15 days, and hearing some of their insights and interactions.
The connection was effortless with each challenge raised, teasing out options, possibilities and pathways forward by others willing to share their own knowledge. It reminds us the most valuable insights can be gained through spending time with peers, whether they’re from your own Village or a neighbouring one.
Networking events, Professional Development Days, and Masterclasses offer more than knowledge. They allow you to learn from peers about how they have put this knowledge into action, what worked, and in some cases, what didn’t.
Lonely is not being alone, it’s the fear that no one cares
During my time it has been fascinating to learn about how spread out this sector is. That many village professionals work similarly to what other sectors call ‘lone workers.’
What I’ve also learned is that when you put a group of Village Professionals in a room together, or on a webinar together, you all quickly realise that you are not alone.
Every Village, while distinct, is supported by dedicated professionals striving for the same goal: the well-being of residents. This shared purpose means that you have a wealth of industry knowledge and support at your fingertips. You all care.
These are my reflections from my own Learning Journal.
Reflections that remind me of the resilience and passion that define this sector. Despite the nuances that distinguish each village, the essence remains unchanged—a shared commitment to creating thriving communities.
Special Thanks
DCM Institute would like to thank Kylie Pickett and the team at The Arbour Berry for hosting us.
Louise joined Retire Australia as a Personal Care Assistant in February last year before becoming Village Manager of The Manor, which forms part of Tarragal Glen Retirement Village, in Erina.
Tarrgal Glen and The Manor are 81km north-northwest of Sydney, this retirement village was created in 1995 to cater for seniors who needed extra household assistance but could still live independently.
“I have a corporate background in management (both people management and business) and prior to The Manor, I was the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Co-Founder of the designer furniture and homeware business House of Europe.
“I have stayed on the Central Coast, to continue my coaching and mentoring of the youth in detention but also to be around for my granddaughter who is now 11 months old.”
Louise Vangestel and Vanessa Fordyce, Village Manager of Retire Australia’s Wood Glen Retirement Village, also in Erina, founded Tarragal Outrigger Canoe Club, based at The Haven, Terrigal.
The Tarragal Ourtrigger Canoe Club focuses on supporting not just the community but local Indigenous youth in partnership with the Frank Baxter Youth Justice Centre and Bara Barang Corporation.
Louise is Club President, and it was her club work which enabled her to being named 2024 Terrigal Woman of the Year.
“I am honoured that my small part of helping youth in detention and hopefully helping them make better decisions in life was acknowledged. I am very grateful but whilst I have won this, there is a whole club of people helping me do this program, so the award is as much for them as it is for me,” she said.
Louise, as steerer, and Vanessa, seat 2, won the 12km State Titles two weeks ago. The youths that the club mentors also won the Novice 6km race at the same event.
When you consider the national days on our calendar, ANZAC Day continues to hold profound significance in both Australia and New Zealand.
Established as a national public holiday in 1921, 25 April has continued to serve as a day of remembrance and reflection. A day of unity where we can pay our respects to those men and women who have lost their lives serving this country, and those who continue to do so to this day.
Knowing how important ANZAC Day is in retirement villages across the country, we thought we’d share a wonderful initiative from Ryman Healthcare.
Each year, residents from their Australian and New Zealand villages are invited to share stories of service to their country. These stories are then collected and shared in a book they call ‘Stories of Service.’
Robert Creek, 78, is a resident at John Flynn Retirement Village in Melbourne and a veteran of the Vietnam War. John served as a member of 3 Troop 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers (RAE). In 2024, Robert’s was one of the many shared in Ryman’s book.
Taking Part in 2024
No matter where you are on Anzac Day, you can commemorate April 25 with us. The ABC will have comprehensive broadcast coverage of Anzac Day services and events. Tune into their coverage throughout the day across ABC Radio, ABC listen app, ABC TV, ABC iview and online from 5.30am (AEST). Click on the picture for all the broadcasting options
Coverage includes commemorations and local marches in towns and cities around Australia as well as special Anzac Day programming.
RSL Australia provides details of what is happening in each state as well like the Sporting day events across the country and the Air Force Flying display that takes place in each state.
What a huge achievement by the DCM Institute team to be moving into our third year with consistent and growing participation in the Village Management Professional Development program.
We are all very proud – and appreciative – especially with the significant impact of COVID on DCMI participants and the need to restructure the program to deliver workshop days online.
We had to ensure you continued to receive great value, professional development and new opportunities to feel connected to the wider industry.
Sally boosts participant support
Six months ago, we introduced a participant care service to our program to ensure that participants continue to be well supported.
Sally Middleton joined our team to fulfil this role and she has conducted over 250 individual participant check-ins to support our participants achieve their learning goals.
Sally has also onboarded or provided portal refresher sessions to over 140 participants, and supported over 20% of participants to find the information they are looking for either in our online portal or on industry-specific websites.
Jacqui boosts sales and leadership
Whilst COVID put a temporary hold on the face-to-face workshop days, the DCMI team continued to innovate. We engaged Jacqui Perkins to lead Retirement Village specific Sales & Leadership interactive masterclasses.
Jacqui brings fresh concepts – always important with sales. The feedback on these masterclass sessions has been great and we have seen a number of sales consultants join the program to access these masterclasses and the valuable information available on the online Knowledge Centre portal.
Face to face networking is back
However, what we are most excited about is we are heading back to Face-to-Face activities! Village network meetings have already been held in SA, NSW, Vic and soon to be ACT, WA, QLD & TAS.
Even better, we return to Face-to-Face workshop days in June.
The DCMI team will return to the capital cities to conduct these valuable Professional Development workshop days. We are so looking forward to getting back to these sessions and the added value of the shared learning we get to share together.
Please join us; please invest in yourself
If you are interested in joining the VMPD program, please register here.
At the DCM Institute, we are committed to supporting both new and experienced retirement living professionals in your journey. We look forward to continuing to provide professional development activities that will reinforce knowledge, enlighten and stimulate different ways of thinking.
In 2021 we plan to focus on key topics, including:
Sales
Marketing
Valuations
Insurance
Asset Management
We will support many of our participants as you navigate the changing legislation and help you better understand the benefits of engaging in the national accreditation scheme.
We will continue to offer topics via our Knowledge Centre Portal and webinars for those in regional areas or those that like short bursts of learning.
We will also strive to engage with the sector and return to some form of face-to-face engagement throughout the year, restrictions allowing.
Help us help you in 2021
To finish our first edition for the new year, we thought we’d put a call out to our members to let us know what else they want to learn about in 2021.
Consultation and engagement have always been key to what we’ve done at the DCMI Institute.
So, feel free to click the link below or reply to this email, and let us know about topics you would like to know more about or see discussed in the newsletter during 2021.
One of our chief aims at the DCM Institute is providing a platform that helps village professionals connect with their peers from all around Australia.
Last month, the DCMI team held our popular virtual Village Network meetings with participants from all around Australia.
There were seven in total, from Dubbo to Taree, Rockhampton to the Gold Coast, and we had participants from the ACT, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.
These informal online meetings have proven especially valuable for village professionals in regional and remote locations.
The opportunity to network with peers, share ideas and knowledge, validate current challenges and discuss industry wide and local topics of interest is critical, but not always easy for people working in remote areas who are unable to attend bit city industry events.
This has only been exacerbated with COVID-times.
So, we’ve been overjoyed to share our knowledge and experience with village professionals, while providing a valuable point of contact.
In this round, Sue from Dubbo said, “Since joining the DCMI program and Village Network I never feel isolated or lonely. Joining the program is one of the best decisions my employer has made.”
If you are from a regional or remote area and working as a village professional, feel free to reach out and join our next free online Village Network gathering.
Do not forget to register for your local Village Network meeting later this month.
It is a great opportunity to discuss important topics such as new legislation, consumer trends, workforce challenges, service offerings, and the change and evolution of the sector.
Together with your peers join the October network meetings by clicking here.
Much like border restrictions the retirement village industry is changing and evolving every day.
This is why it’s so beneficial to have buddies who are travelling the same road as you, to compare notes and talk things through.
At the DCM Institute we are committed to building this network of buddies, mates, professional colleagues alongside you in every state.
Our DCMI Peer Network is open to everyone – if you are a DCMI Member or not – including customer facing roles or head office roles.
With new legislation, industry frameworks, consumer trends, workforce challenges, service offerings, external influences of the pandemic, the list of things going on is endless.
It’s a lot to take in on your own.
That is why now more than ever it is vital that you remain connected to a group of likeminded peers to share experiences, learnings and sometimes even just validation that you are on the right path.
In many ways it’s a mental relief valve.
You can be welcomed at the October network meetings by clicking here.
One of our key commitments at DCM Institute is assisting village professionals around the country build strong local peer support networks.
We recognise the importance of these networks as a place that can provide:
Connection with likeminded peers facing similar experiences
Peer support to help solve challenges
Validation of current practices
The sharing of knowledge and experience
The opportunity to keep up to date with industry trends and local issues
Please join us and your local colleagues at the village network gatherings scheduled for October where we will discuss the challenges, opportunities and state of the sector.
