WITH age-friendly independent living units (ILUs) delivering significantly more health and wellbeing benefits for older Australians at about half the price of a comparable home, the Australian retirement living industry converged on the Gold Coast last month to applaud and celebrate new national standards of “excellence” in 2021.
Retirement Living Council Executive Director Ben Myers said it was important to identify and applaud the exemplars in the retirement living sector because they were the industry leaders – an always-improving benchmark that would inspire, challenge, push and pull Australian industry standards beyond world-best practice.
The 2021 National Retirement Living Awards, planned for November 2021, were postponed as a result of COVID-19 and re-scheduled for June 2022. Mr Myers said the awards, presented at the Gala Dinner of the Retirement Living Summit on the Gold Coast, recognised impressive talent and were a testament to the resilience and strength of the sector and the high-quality products provided to ageing communities.He said the Australian retirement living sector designed, built and provided more affordable, healthier and safer homes and health and wellbeing services for about 210,000 seniors.
The 2021 National Retirement Living Awards for Excellence were awarded to:
- ‘The Grace’ (Australian Unity), a thriving community in an upmarket inner-city vertical village in South Melbourne, won the most prestigious FMSA Architecture Award for Best Retirement Living Development.
- Brighton Classic Residences received the Blueforce Award for Best Refurbishment for its extensive renovations which reflected the issues, concerns, interests and aspirations of its residents.
- Birdwood Park by RSL LifeCare, Newcastle’s first vertical retirement village, was awarded the Senior Living Mediation Award for Marketing Excellence.
- Steven Daly, Village Manager at Arcadia Waters Maddington, received the Programmed Award for Village Manager of the Year for his initiative, diverse experience and knowledge in resolving long-term social issues, addressing complex maintenance issues and transforming the village culture.
- Sharon Manson from Ingenia Lifestyle (Hervey Bay) was awarded the Imagine Projects Award for Salesperson of the Year.
- Matt Fedrick from Ingenia Communities won the Ingenia Communities Award for Future Retirement Living Leader.
Mr Myers said the 2021 National Retirement Living Awards celebrated the retirement living industry’s role in providing safe and secure age-friendly communities for Australians. “There is a significant – and growing – body of evidence demonstrating the health and social benefits that can be realised by living in well-designed, age-friendly communities,” he said.”People who make a home in an age-friendly community are seemingly more happy, healthy, active, independent and in-control of their lives.”
For more information on the 2021 National Retirement Living Awards click here.