Abbeyfield proving worth
From March 31, Abbeyfield Dunedin has adopted a new model in providing what it hopes will be more affordable accommodation for people seeking a different sort of retirement living. Business editor Dene Mackenzie talks to Abbeyfield Dunedin secretary Margy
TEN years on from the official opening of Abbeyfield Dunedin’s smallscale retirement living facility on March 30, 2007, there is much to celebrate, secretary MargyJean Malcolm says.
When former Dunedin City councillor Joyce Herd first envisaged Abbeyfield back then, it was hard to understand how the concept of supported retirement living had changed for the Dunedin residents.
Mrs Herd had a sister living in Abbeyfield, in the United Kingdom. She drew together a group of interested Dunedin residents in October 2001 to start planning for a local Abbeyfield. Former MP J.B. Munro, Anne Rodger, Clair Carey, Florence Stone, Bob and Betty Melville were some of those involved from the early stages.
Ms Malcolm said the early days were not easy and much fundraising was needed to ensure the proposal was realised. The aim of making something affordable meant continued fundraising right from the first day.
As Abbeyfield Dunedin was getting off the ground, there was some central government funding available for people providing retirement options; but Dunedin was not eligible because it went down the route of owneroccupier.
Mrs Herd used her network and brought people in to help.
Next came the Retirement Village Act which provided an extra barrier for notforprofit properties, the property market crashed and listed operators such as Ryman Healthcare and Summerset arrived in the city.
It was tough going, Ms
Malcolm said.
Finally, the Abbeyfield Dunedin trust realised the owneroccupier model was not for them and decided to move to affordable rental accommodation for longterm, she said.
‘‘People came to us and said, ‘This is exactly what we need’. We have been offering the rental option for four or five years but market rents was making it unaffordable for some people.’’
Abbeyfield New Zealand was consolidating all the properties in New Zealand into one notforprofit organisation. After 20 years, Abbeyfield NZ had access to lower cost finance and on March 31, Abbeyfield Property Ltd bought out the original owners in Dunedin.
The original owners were ‘‘very generous’’ in the buyout deal because they wanted the facility to continue, Ms Malcolm said.
Recently, the trust had raised $100,000 through grants and individual donations. Also, it was not now part of the Retirement Village Act regime which meant the previous rent of $497 a week could be reduced to $395 a week.
Although still not as low as the trust would like, the weekly rent was within reach of people with only national superannuation, and perhaps a bit more in savings, she said.
Those only on New Zealand Superannuation could receive an accommodation supplement. It was still tight but affordable.
‘‘It’s been a huge journey for us in the last 10 years and we are like any private small business except we are notforprofit.’’
Having $300,000 capital to get into a private retirement village was unaffordable for a lot of Dunedin people. Many people in the city did not have that equity in their own house. Divorce or a loss of an investment meant circumstances changed for many people, Ms Malcolm said.
Abbeyfield could be a role model and option for those people.
For the $395 a week, the nine Abbeyfield residents (originally eight but the premises has been expanded) received two main meals a day, their electricity and supplies for breakfast.
Abbeyfield provided ‘‘light touch’’ supervision and residents were encouraged to take part in outside activities when possible. They still had the ‘‘Abbeyfield family’’ for meals and they could invite their friends in for meals.
Because Abbeyfield was not a resthome, it did not provide nursing care but the Southern District Health Board funded home care for people needing it to encourage them to stay in their own home as long as possible.
Four residents had been at Abbeyfield for 10 years, including Ms Malcolm’s mother, who was one of the first residents along with her father.
‘‘It is small scale and Dad never wanted to move into some big institution. Before moving to Abbeyfield my mum was living in her own home caring for my dad who had dementia but it was all getting too much for her. So they moved to Abbeyfield 10 years ago. They were supported to live together for four more precious years and reached their 65th wedding anniversary before dad needed resthome care for his last two years of his life.’’
There were no other options in Dunedin where a couple with such different health needs could have stayed together for so long, Ms Malcolm said.
Her mother (97) now had limited sight but was happy living relatively independently without having to move to a resthome.
Abbeyfield wanted any Dunedin elderly person to have the choice of an Abbeyfield lifestyle.
Trust chairman Alan
Somerville thanked the Dunedin community for its support which had enabled Abbeyfield to build an affordable sustainable rental retirement option for Dunedin seniors.
‘‘We are seeing the real value of being a notforprofit organisation in all the different ways organisations have supported us.’’
Support included gifts of time and expertise, donations of goods, services and money — especially for the fundraising campaign last year, which included an antiques roadshow and auction.
Spreading the word had also been important, he said.
Abbeyfield was a new concept for people to understand because it was not a resthome but a familystyle retirement living option for up to 10 people who wanted to remain well, socially connected and independent.
Ms Malcolm said the priority now was to pay off the mortgage, although the trust was starting to talk about the need for a second Abbeyfield in Dunedin.
‘‘We’re ploughing every dollar back into keeping the rent affordable and keeping the quality life as high as possible.’’
Abbeyfield was full now. However, until rents came down, the facility had struggled with occupancy. It was important to now build a waiting list, but one that was flexible. That was why it was important to keep talking about the new concept, she said.
Today, there is a combined working bee and open day between 2pm and 3pm at Abbeyfield, 210 Balmacewen Rd, Waikari.
Abbeyfield was partnering with the Fortune Theatre to celebrate its success at a Roger Hall play, Last Legs, opening at the theatre later this month. The play is set around the opening of a retirement home. The event will be used as a fundraising opportunity.