Retirement living leaders look ahead

Retirement living leaders look aheadCan industry acknowledgement change your career? We check in with the winners of two prestigious National Retirement Living Awards, Emma Plasier and Janet Fisher, to find out.Plasier (pictured left), the company director and principal of Shine Retirement, assists retirees to find homes in both retirement villages and over s lifestyle parks around south east Queensland. “The retirement living sector can be quite complex for people to navigate. South east Queensland has more than 0 retirement options, which can be overwhelming,” Plasier says.”While the choices for retirees are growing, this means it takes people longer to do their homework and make a decision. I recognised there was a gap in the market to help people find the right village to suit them.”This can mean everything from organising financial planners and referring retirees to legal experts, to coordinating real estate agents and removalists. Plasier was presented with the Ingenia Communities Award for Future Retirement Living Leader last year, and says winning “took my company to the next echelon”.”Before winning the award, I was knocking on doors, but since then, I’ve had providers and operators come to me.”Since then, Plasier’s business has expanded and her team grown to five employees. As well as supporting retirees, Shine Retirement also advises retirement village developers on what retirees are looking for, hosts focus groups, trains sales teams, and provides guidance on financial structures. She’s also collaborated with policy makers on legislation.Meanwhile, Janet Fisher (pictured right) was named Programmed Property Services Village Manager of the Year last year, for her sustained work at Lendlease’s Meadowvale retirement village in Melbourne.Fisher says winning the award was “a lovely acknowledgement, but I think the people who were most pleased were the actual residents, who saw it as a reflection of their village.””As this was an Australia-wide award, it became a point of difference for our staff, who saw it as evidence that we are working hard for a good company. And it’s been great to show new customers considering Meadowvale too,” she says.Fisher has since moved to Lexington Gardens, a larger Melbourne retirement village undergoing significant capital works, including the construction of more than 160 new apartments. She’s now managing a much bigger team, and says she is “excited by the new challenge”.Both Fisher and Plasier are passionate about the retirement living sector, which they are confident will expand and evolve to meet the needs of more Australians.”There has definitely been a shift in the market in the last few years, as more people look to downsize, but don’t necessarily think of themselves as retirees,” Plasier says.”Our challenge is to reframe how we perceive these potential customers – and how they perceive themselves. “Retirement is now just a new stage of life – it’s not about being old. We need to shape products and services to meet each individual’s needs as they embark on this new life stage.”Fisher says we can expect greater diversity in the services offered within each village, “closer integration between general and care services” and greater choice. And she encourages other retirement village managers to consider nominating for the award. “Winning the Retirement Living Award has affirmed that we are doing things well, and that we are delivering a high level of satisfaction among our resident community. The award isn’t just about you – it’s about your residents”.Nominations for the National Retirement Living Awards close this Friday, 16 June. Nominate online or purchase your tickets for the gala dinner on Monday 27 November 2017.