Issuu

August/September I Vol. 8 I No. 4

Editor's Note

When Technology Earns Its Place

echnology in aged care is becoming much more visible, but what interests me in this issue is how differently it is being applied. Our cover reflects one end of that spectrum. Andromeda Robotics’ Abi is now permanently deployed across mecwacare’s 22 homes in Victoria, bringing social robotics directly into residents’ daily lives. Inside, we also look at technology from another direction. A recent New Zealand pilot of CarePlay used an appbased game to put aged-care staff into everyday dementia-care situations and ask them to decide how they would respond. Staff reported changing aspects of their practice, including slowing conversations, simplifying choices and listening more closely. The trial was small and the results were self-reported, so it would be premature to draw conclusions

about resident outcomes. What it does raise is a useful question about where technology may have the greatest impact. Sometimes that will be a robot interacting directly with a resident. Sometimes it may be a digital tool helping a staff member reconsider what they do when they return to the floor. Artificial intelligence adds another layer to that discussion, and we are only at the beginning of understanding where it will genuinely improve aged care rather than simply adding more technology to an already complex operating environment. The common thread is not the technology itself. For operators, the measure will be whether these tools change something meaningful. Do residents engage with them? Do staff use them? Do they improve the way care is delivered, or make an already stretched workforce more effective?

Technology will keep arriving. The commercial and clinical test is whether it improves care enough to justify the cost, training and disruption that come with it.

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contents 6

News The Next Village Van Has to Work Harder

The next village van should start with a blunt question: who is the current vehicle quietly leaving out?

Start With the Transport Brief

A resident vehicle can stay on the road for years, but the job it is being asked to do may change much sooner.

14 The Garage

Is Not Finished Yet

For many residents entering retirement villages, the car still carries meaning well beyond transport.

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16 Who Gets to Plug In?

The first resident who asks to plug in a car may not look like a major village decision. It may begin with a simple request to add a charger in a garage, use a shared car park, or confirm whether an apartment bay can be made ready before an occupation right agreement is signed.

18 A Friendlier Face for Aged Care Robotics

Most humanoid robots are built to show us what they can do. How well they walk, what they can pick up, how fast they can work and whether they can perform jobs previously done by people.

20 How AI Is Changing the Search for Aged Care

Families can now ask an AI tool to find suitable aged care, compare villages and explain audit reports before contacting a provider. That may change which facilities receive the first enquiry and which never make the shortlist.

22 From Bingo Pieces to Bespoke Care

A bingo piece costing less than a dollar is probably not where most aged care operators would expect a conversation about 3D printing to begin.

24 Does Training Change

What Happens on Shift?

26 Insurance Helps

Mop up Rest Home Water Damage

Water damage is one of the biggest issues facing rest home operators today. Whether it’s caused by a hidden plumbing leak, a resident leaving a tap running, or an unforeseen equipment failure like a burst sprinkler system, the consequences can extend far beyond a quick mop-up operation.

28 Protecting a

Sustainable Workforce

Workforce availability will always be a consideration in healthcare, as it influences not only where providers grow, but how they operate.

Most aged care operators can show that staff have completed training. The more useful question is whether that learning changes what somebody does when a resident is distressed, refuses care or simply needs a different approach. August/September 2026

Village News

Mounting Pressure for Health & Community Providers Health and community service providers across New Zealand are facing mounting pressure to maintain the quality of care while managing workforce shortages, rising costs and increasingly complex funding requirements. Those pressures are forcing organisations to look closely at the systems and processes behind frontline care, particularly workforce planning, financial management and reporting.

READ MORE ONLINE

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Does Dementia Care Depend on Your Postcode? New Zealanders have long talked about postcode differences in healthcare, but dementia turns that concern into a series of practical questions. Does where a person lives affect how quickly they receive a diagnosis, whether support follows, whether their carer can access respite and, eventually, whether appropriate residential care is available near their family?

READ MORE ONLINE

August/September 2026

Village News

Retirement Village Reform: Who pays for speed? The Retirement Villages Association supports reform that gives residents and families more certainty, but a mandatory three-month repayment rule, or interest starting after six months, would push real costs onto current and future residents. RVA executive director Michelle Palmer said the sector backs a 12-month repayment guarantee, improved transparency, an end to weekly fees once a resident leaves, a simpler complaints process and practical early access to funds in genuine hardship.

READ MORE ONLINE

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Promisia Builds Scale with Chatswood Deal Promisia Healthcare is putting $25 million behind its strategy of building local scale, with a conditional agreement to acquire Chatswood Retirement Village in Opawa, Christchurch. If completed, the deal would add 100 beds and units and give Promisia a second substantial care operation in East Christchurch alongside Aldwins House. Promisia said the two facilities would create a broader local offering across rest home and hospital-level care, care suites, serviced apartments and retirement living.

READ MORE ONLINE

Bupa NZ Introduces Six month Buy-Backs Bupa New Zealand has introduced a six-month buy-back provision in all new independent living Occupation Right Agreements (ORAs) from July this year. The six-month buy-back provision gives new residents greater certainty that Bupa will repurchase their home within six months and five working days of vacating a Bupa village even if it has not sold.

READ MORE ONLINE

August/September 2026

Mobility

The Next Village Van Has to Work Harder The next village van should start with a blunt question: who is the current vehicle quietly leaving out?

or many retirement villages, the van remains one of the most useful services on site. It takes residents to cafés, garden centres, supermarkets, medical appointments, and local outings. It also gives residents who drive less, or no longer drive, a practical way to keep moving beyond the village. The difficulty is that the same vehicle is often expected to serve a wider resident mix than it was originally bought for. One trip may include residents who can board easily. Another may include walkers, wheelchairs, shopping bags, staff support and people who need more time getting in and out. A van that works for the most mobile residents may still exclude others, even if no one intends that outcome. Replacement planning should therefore move beyond age, mileage and price. Residents notice the step height, seat spacing, handrails, air conditioning and room for walkers. Families notice whether outings include people with higher mobility needs. Staff notice whether the vehicle is easy to book, clean, load, drive and manage. For some villages, a standard passenger van may still be enough. It can work where residents are largely mobile, trips are short, and the vehicle is mainly used for social outings. The risk is replacing like-for-like when the current van already has access problems. A newer version of the same vehicle may not solve much

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if residents avoid outings because boarding feels difficult, walkers are awkward to store, or wheelchair users need separate transport. A fully accessible replacement can widen who the van serves, but it needs to be assessed as a complete fit-out. Operators should consider the access point, hoist or ramp, wheelchair positions, restraints, seat spacing, handrails, storage and whether staff can move safely around the vehicle. Auto Transform’s Summerset case study is a useful New Zealand example. The company said it has built accessible Mercedes Sprinter minibuses for Summerset villages across New Zealand, with an internally mounted wheelchair hoist, flexible seating, swivel seats, a quick-release seat and restraint systems to support wheelchair and seated passengers. That level of detail changes how the vehicle can be used. One outing may need more fixed seats. Another may need wheelchair space. Another may need room for walkers, equipment and a staff member travelling with residents. Passenger count can be misleading. A van may carry more people on paper, but still be awkward if the aisle is tight, the entry is difficult, or mobility aids have nowhere sensible to go. A smaller number of well-planned seats may deliver a better service than a larger layout that is hard to use. Not every village needs to buy the most specialised vehicle outright. Hire or lease may suit smaller operators, or those with irregular

accessible transport needs. Freedom Mobility promotes wheelchairaccessible vans for daily or longerterm hire for retirement homes and villages, including short-term use for larger outings and longer-term hire when a village vehicle is under maintenance or repair. That option deserves a place in replacement planning. Downtime is not only a workshop problem. If the van is unavailable, outings may be cancelled, appointments rearranged, and staff left to find transport workarounds. Hire or lease can provide cover without requiring every village to carry the full cost of a specialised second vehicle. Training also needs to be included in the purchase decision. A well-fitted vehicle still depends on staff knowing how to use it. Auto Transform’s recent operator training material stated that

training covers wheelchair tie-downs, occupant restraints, lap belts and shoulder belts, and that incorrectly applied restraints are one of the most common causes of passenger injury during transport. Maintenance needs the same attention. Hoist checks, restraint inspections, servicing, driver training, incidents and complaints should be recorded clearly. Annual on-site hoist servicing should be part of a service and training programme for mobility fleets. The compliance side should be checked before a vehicle is ordered or modified. NZTA said drivers need a passenger endorsement if they carry passengers for hire or reward, and also if they drive a large passenger service vehicle. NZTA also said vehicles capable of carrying more than 12 people, including the driver, are

considered passenger service vehicles, whether used for hire or reward or not. Electric and hybrid vans should be reviewed, but not treated as an automatic answer. For some villages, electric may suit local and predictable trips, with charging managed overnight or between scheduled runs. For others, hybrid or conventional models may remain more practical, particularly where trips are longer, charging access is limited, or the van needs a quick turnaround. The better replacement process starts with actual use. Who uses the van now? Who avoids it because access is difficult? How often is wheelchair-accessible transport hired separately? What happens when the vehicle is off the road? Does the current van serve care residents, independent residents, or only the most mobile group?

Once those answers are clear, the options become easier to compare. A full accessible replacement may widen participation. A retrofit may buy time if the current vehicle still has life left. Hire or lease may suit irregular demand. A mixed fleet may work better for larger operators. Electric or hybrid vehicles may be a good fit where routes, charging access, and service support are clear. The mistake is buying the next van as if the resident mix has not changed. A village van affects outings, appointments, family confidence, staff workload and whether residents feel included in daily life. The right van does not need to be the biggest, newest or most expensive. It needs to be the one residents can actually use, and the one the village can keep safely on the road. August/September 2026

Start With the Transport Brief

A resident vehicle can stay on the road for years, but the job it is being asked to do may change much sooner.

or aged care and retirement village operators reviewing a vehicle or planning a replacement, passenger capacity is only the starting point. How many residents need help getting in and out, whether wheelchairs or walking aids need to travel with them, where staff sit and how the vehicle is used all influence what should go into the specification. Jackson Van Interiors has spent more than 40 years modifying passenger, commercial and mobility vehicles. Its aged and rest care work includes electric access steps, grab handles, lifts, specialised seating and restraint systems, and air conditioning. The decisions around those features need to start with how the vehicle will actually be used. A van predominantly taking residents to medical appointments

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has a different operating brief from one used for regular group outings. A retirement village with largely independent passengers may need a different layout from a care facility where more residents require assistance or wheelchair access. The resident group can also change during the life of the vehicle. A van purchased several years ago may still be mechanically sound while its seating, access or internal configuration has become less practical for the people now using it. That is where a fleet review can be useful. The decision is not necessarily whether to buy a new vehicle, but whether the existing vehicle still fits the job and, if not, what needs to change. Sarah Wallis, CEO of Jackson Van Interiors, said operators could consider modifications whether purchasing

new or reviewing an existing fleet. “Whether you're purchasing a new vehicle or upgrading your current fleet, we provide practical, high-quality modifications designed to enhance passenger safety, improve caregiver efficiency, and promote dignity and independence for those in your care.” Caregiver efficiency starts with practical details. Entry height, step configuration, grab-handle placement, wheelchair access and seating layout all affect what staff and residents encounter every time the vehicle leaves the facility. Comfort belongs in the brief as well. Seating and air conditioning need to suit the passengers and the journeys being made, particularly when residents may spend considerable time travelling to appointments, activities and social outings. Jackson’s process begins with

Mobility

consultation around the objectives and requirements for the vehicle before moving through build, certification where required, and handover. For an operator, that suggests a different starting point for the next fleet decision. Before looking at vehicle catalogues, look at the current transport operation. Who is travelling? How much assistance is required? What mobility equipment needs to come with them? Where are staff encountering difficulties? What trips does the vehicle make most often? Are those needs likely to change during the period the vehicle will be retained? Those answers can help determine whether an existing vehicle should be modified, its configuration changed or replacement brought forward. The asset may be the van, but the specification should come from the work it needs to do.

Fleet Check: 5 things to consider before your next resident vehicle decision

3. Does it work for staff?

1. Who is using it now?

4. What journeys is it making?

Has the resident profile changed since the vehicle was purchased? Consider wheelchair use, walking aids and the level of assistance passengers require.

2. How easy is access?

Look at step height, grab handles, wheelchair access and how easily residents can enter and leave the vehicle.

Consider where carers sit, how residents are assisted and whether the current layout makes routine trips harder than they need to be.

Medical appointments, short transfers and longer group outings can place very different demands on seating, space and climate control.

5. Modify or replace?

Before committing to a new vehicle, assess whether the existing one remains suitable and could be reconfigured to meet current requirements.

Bespoke Passenger, commercial & Mobility Vehicle Interiors Jackson Van Interiors creates tailored vehicle solutions for aged care facilities, retirement villages and community care providers.

FIND OUT MORE

August/September 2026

Mobility

The Garage Is Not Finished Yet

For many residents entering retirement villages, the car still carries meaning well beyond transport.

t is tied to routine, privacy and the ability to leave when they choose. For baby boomers now moving into the sector, that connection may be even stronger. This is a generation that built much of its adult life around private car ownership, from work and family commitments through to travel, shopping and social activity. That makes the garage a more sensitive design issue than it may first appear. A village may be able to introduce shared vehicles, electric pool cars or bookable vans, but that does not mean incoming residents will willingly give up private parking. For many, a garage still supports confidence. It provides storage, protects the vehicle, allows easier unloading and keeps transport close to the unit. It also carries resale value. That is where operators need to be careful. Reducing garage provision too quickly may look efficient from a landuse perspective, particularly on tighter sites, but it could weaken a unit's appeal if buyers still regard private parking as part of the independent living offer. At the same time, not every resident will want, or be able, to keep driving. Some may choose to sell a car because the costs of registration, insurance, servicing, and maintenance no longer make sense. Others may drive less often after a medical event, a vision change or a licence review. Some may still be comfortable locally but not on motorways, at night or in unfamiliar areas.

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That is where shared transport becomes more useful. A pool car, hybrid vehicle or village van is not necessarily a replacement for private ownership. It may be the option that helps residents remain mobile when their relationship with driving changes. For one resident, it may reduce the need for a second car. For another, it may provide access to appointments or shopping after they stop driving altogether. This creates a different design question for operators. The issue is not whether garages should disappear. They probably should not. The more practical question is whether future villages need a broader mix of private garages, shared vehicle bays, visitor parks, EV charging spaces and fleet access points. That mix will matter more as resident transport habits become less uniform. Some residents will arrive with an EV and expect charging near the unit. Some will continue with petrol or hybrid vehicles for years. Some will want a garage mainly for storage. Others may not own a car but will still expect reliable access to village transport. For new developments, that suggests flexibility should be built into the parking model from the start. For existing villages, it may mean reviewing how underused spaces, older garages or central parking areas could be adapted without removing something residents still value. The garage is not finished. But it may no longer be the only transport answer a village needs to provide.

August/September 2026

Mobility

Who Gets to Plug In?

he answer will need more than a quick yes or no. For New Zealand retirement village operators, electric vehicle charging will sit across parking allocation, resident billing, electrical capacity, maintenance, safety and sales communication. It will also need to be handled fairly, because residents will not move to EVs at the same pace. Some will arrive with an electric vehicle and expect charging to be available close to their unit. Others will keep petrol or hybrid vehicles for years. Some may no longer drive at all, but will still rely on village vans, family visits, staff transport or shared parking areas. That uneven uptake is where the work starts. New Zealand’s public charging network is expanding, with the

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Government working toward 10,000 public charging points by 2030. In March 2026, it also announced 2,574 planned public charge points through government loans and private coinvestment, taking the expected national total to about 4,550 once those chargers and those already underway are included. That public network will help drivers on longer trips and in main centres. It will not remove the need for practical charging where people live. For an older resident managing appointments, shopping, family visits and familiar local trips, driving to a public charger may not be a realistic everyday answer. Villages will therefore need their own position. A private charger attached to a unit has obvious appeal. It gives the resident control, keeps the vehicle

close to home and may support the value of villas or apartments where buyers already expect secure parking, storage and easy access. The difficulty is applying that model across a whole site. One unit may have a garage with a relatively simple cable route. Another may sit in an apartment block with basement parking. A third may have a carport or shared bay. Older villages may not have been designed with the electrical capacity or layout needed for chargerby-charger installation. If approvals are handled one request at a time, operators may quickly end up with inconsistent arrangements. One resident may pay directly for a private installation. Another may expect common-area work to be funded through village budgets. A later buyer may ask why charging was

Mobility

approved for one unit but not another. That is why resident billing needs to be settled early. Non-EV residents will not want to fund electricity, equipment or upgrades used mainly by others. EV owners will expect a fair rate and a reliable system. Operators will need to recover power, equipment, servicing and administration costs without making the process hard for residents to understand. Shared charging bays may suit many villages better than individual chargers at every unit. They allow the operator to manage equipment, access, metering, maintenance and use from selected locations. They may also work better for older sites where retrofitting every garage or car park would be costly or disruptive. Shared bays still need clear rules. Residents need to know whether the space is bookable, whether charging is billed by time, by session, or by electricity used, and what happens if a vehicle stays in the bay after charging has finished. Without that detail, the charger can become another parking dispute. Visitor and staff access also needs to be considered. A charger installed for residents can quickly become a general-use asset if family members, staff or contractors also want to plug in. That may be manageable, but only if access, payment, and parking time

are clearly set out. The electrical side cannot be left informal. According to WorkSafe New Zealand’s current EV charging guidance, updated in January 2026, electric vehicle supply equipment should be installed safely and in line with regulations. The guidance is written for suppliers, installers and users of charging equipment, and reflects New Zealand’s electricity supply systems. For operators, that gives a clear reason to set boundaries before residents create their own arrangements. If a private charger needs approval, that should be stated. If the work must be done by an appropriately qualified person, that should be stated. If extension leads, unsuitable sockets or unauthorised charging points are not allowed, that also needs to be explained. The policy should be practical, not buried in technical language. Residents and families need to understand what can be installed, who pays for it, who maintains it, whether it affects the unit or the common property, and how costs are recovered. Sales teams also need a consistent answer, because EV readiness will increasingly come up during village tours and unit discussions. The Retirement Villages Code of Practice does not treat EV charging

as a standalone topic, but it does set minimum operator requirements across areas that are relevant to charging decisions. These include safety and personal security, fire protection and emergency management, resident involvement, accounts, complaints, maintenance and upgrading. That makes EV charging part of wider village management rather than a narrow facilities decision. It may affect common areas, resident contributions, maintenance planning, communication with residents and the way complaints are handled if access or cost allocation is disputed. Load management will also become more important as demand grows. A small number of chargers may be manageable, but resident EVs, visitor vehicles, staff vehicles, and village fleets could eventually draw from the same site. If village vans or pool cars move to electric or hybrid models, fleet charging will need its own place in the plan. This is where new developments have an advantage. They can allow for charging access, cable routes, visitor spaces, fleet bays, and metering from the start, even if not every charger is installed immediately. Existing villages may need a staged approach, starting with selected shared bays and a written process for individual requests. The right answer will vary by site. A villa-based village may offer EVready garages in selected areas. An apartment-style village may need shared charging and billing systems. A smaller, older village may start with one or two managed bays while it assesses demand and electrical capacity. What matters is that charging is not left to informal negotiation. EV adoption across retirement villages will be uneven for years. That is exactly why the policy work needs to come before demand builds. Operators do not need to promise every resident a private charger. They do need to decide how access will be allocated, how use will be billed, how equipment will be maintained, and how charging fits with visitor parking, staff vehicles and village fleets. The charger may be the visible part of the change. The more important decisions sit behind it, in the rules, wiring, budgets and resident communication that keep the system fair. August/September 2026

Village Tech

A Friendlier Face for Aged Care Robotics Most humanoid robots are built to show us what they can do. How well they walk, what they can pick up, how fast they can work and whether they can perform jobs previously done by people.

bi has been designed around a rather different question. Will people actually want her in the room? Australian aged care provider mecwacare has now permanently deployed 22 Abi companion robots across its residential aged care homes in Victoria, supporting more than 1,500 residents. The programme started with trials before being expanded across the group. Look at Abi alongside many of the humanoid robots currently being developed and the difference is immediate. She is colourful, friendly and deliberately fun. Some of the humanoid machines being demonstrated around the world look more suited to a factory floor or army manoeuvres than an aged care home. Grey metal, dark finishes and an industrial appearance may make sense when the job is moving boxes, but it is a very different proposition when the robot is approaching someone sitting in their room or joining a group activity. Andromeda Robotics founder and CEO Grace Brown has questioned that approach herself, describing many humanoid robots as militant and intimidating and arguing that considerably more attention needs to be given to how people feel about sharing a space with them. That thinking is visible in Abi.

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The bright colours and playful personality make her look less like another piece of clinical equipment. In aged care, where residents can already be surrounded by mobility equipment, monitoring devices and medical technology, there is something to be said for technology that does not immediately announce itself as healthcare equipment. Abi has been designed for conversation and companionship rather than physical care. At mecwacare she can sing, dance, tell stories, join activities and speak in up to 90 languages. The latest Genesis Abi was co-developed with mecwacare and includes improved listening and multilingual capability, autonomous movement and features intended to better support interaction with people living with dementia. One of the stories Andromeda has shared from the rollout involved a resident who had spoken very little for months but read Chinese poetry aloud to Abi. Other residents have reportedly used Abi to communicate in their first language, sometimes in languages not spoken by staff. Those individual moments make good stories, but the larger rollout should eventually tell us something more useful. mecwacare has reported residents becoming more engaged and social, while staff have incorporated Abi into activities and everyday life within the homes.

Those observations are encouraging, although they are still provider and supplier reports rather than long-term independent evidence of improved resident outcomes. For operators looking at this type of technology, what happens after the novelty has gone will be worth following. Do residents still seek Abi out six months or a year later? Are there residents who engage with her who rarely participate in other activities? How much staff time does it take to make the technology work well? And does a robot designed with colour, personality and a little bit of fun have an advantage simply because residents are happy to have her around? Twenty-two homes and more than 1,500 residents should give mecwacare and Andromeda plenty of opportunity to find out.

August/September 2026

How AI Is A Changing the Search for Aged Care

gedPlus put four familystyle questions to a webenabled AI search. The aim was not to rank providers, but to see which facilities appeared, what information was used and where the results became less reliable.

Aged Plus Magazine

Current Information Carries More Weight The first search asked for secure dementia care in Christchurch with a current vacancy and a short-stay option. Hoon Hay and Rosewood Rest Home & Hospital appeared because their online information clearly identified the care they provide. Both

Village Tech

availability was last checked and make the admissions contact easy to find. Clear Facts Help AI Build A Shortlist The Auckland search asked which villages offered two-bedroom homes and access to rest-home or hospital care if a resident’s needs changed. Summerset St. John's was easy to identify because one page brought together current accommodation, pricing, care levels and the conditions around priority access. Its information covered two-bedroom apartments, rest-home and hospital care, memory care and respite. Keith Park also provided a clear link between its homes and future care, including rest homes, hospitals, specialist dementia services, and respite services. The current twobedroom apartment listings appear on the same village page. Bupa’s Erin Park was another current option identified during the search. The wider result was not a judgement on which village offered the better experience. It showed which operators had made the required facts easiest to find and connect. A smaller village may offer suitable accommodation and well-established care, yet be missed if its information is spread across several pages or limited to broad lifestyle wording. Families may be asking whether couples can stay together, whether hospital care is available on-site, and what happens when needs increase. Those answers need to be stated directly. Photography and lifestyle content still support the sale, but they cannot substitute for clear operating information. are current, certified facilities operated by Heritage Lifecare. Information about vacancies was harder to rely on. Availability can change quickly, while an older result may remain visible and still look current when summarised by AI. For families arranging care after a hospital stay or sudden change in health, a specific answer may feel more certain than it is. A room shown as available still needs to be confirmed directly with the provider. Operators cannot determine how quickly every AI platform updates its results. They can keep their website and directory listings aligned, show when

Audit Comparisons Need Context The Tauranga test asked AI to compare Fraser Manor Rest Home, Makoha Tauranga and Bethlehem Views using their official audit information. All three are current certified providers, but they are not directly comparable. Fraser Manor and Makoha Tauranga are smaller rest-home services, while Bethlehem Views has 88 beds and provides rest-home, medical, geriatric and dementia care. AI can quickly extract audit dates, corrective actions and risk ratings. The weakness arises when this is reduced to a count, with the facility recording

fewer actions and presenting them as the stronger performer. That leaves out service complexity, audit type, the severity of each finding and whether the action has since been completed. Bethlehem Views, for example, had three actions recorded in its May 2025 audit, including one rated moderate risk, but the Ministry page records all three as completed in June 2025. Families are likely to use AI because audit reports can be difficult to interpret. Providers should consider publishing a brief, factual explanation of the latest audit, what was addressed, and where official information can be checked. Outdated Names Can Remain Online The Hamilton search looked for hospital-level care that was practical for family members using public transport. Radius Kensington and Radius St Joans appeared, along with the Hamilton Lake facility now operating as CHT Cascades. All three are current certified care providers. CHT Cascades exposed another issue. The Ministry records the current provider and facility name as CHT Cascades, but a Healthpoint page still carries the former Arvida Cascades name. The facility remains open, but an AI system may have to decide whether two names refer to the same business. Similar inconsistencies can follow ownership changes, rebrands or website updates, creating uncertainty for families and weakening the operator’s visibility. The marketing, operations, and admissions teams need to share responsibility for keeping the main sources current. Care levels, accommodation, fees, transport, respite and contact information should match across the operator’s website, Eldernet, Healthpoint and official records. AI will not replace a visit, a needs assessment or a conversation with staff. It may, however, influence who receives that conversation in the first place. A provider does not need to rebuild its marketing around AI. It does, however, need to make its current services, name and admission details easy to find and verify before the family starts calling. August/September 2026

Village Tech

From Bingo Pieces to Bespoke Care A bingo piece costing less than a dollar is probably not where most aged care operators would expect a conversation about 3D printing to begin.

ut at Orana Aged Care in Kingaroy, Australia, that is exactly the sort of small, practical use that has started people thinking about what else could be made on site. Lutheran Services’ Orana introduced a 3D printer after Creative Programs and Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Harvey saw the potential for creating simple aids for residents. The homeproduced pen holders, paintbrush grips, water bottle holders and customised bingo pieces, with material costs reported at around A$0.30 to A$1 an item. For resident Kay Bochmann, the bingo pieces meant she could take part in the game again. That is where this gets interesting for aged care. It is not about producing something cheaply. It is about making something that works for one particular resident, rather than finding the closest available product and hoping it does the job. A grip might need to be wider. A holder might need to sit at a different angle. Something attached to a wheelchair may need to be positioned differently for one person than another. With a 3D printer, those changes can be made without sourcing another product each time. Orana is not alone in exploring this. At the Good Shepherd Home–

Raker Center in Pennsylvania, United States, occupational therapy students worked with 3D-printing students from Moravian University to develop individual aids for longterm care residents. Residents tested prototypes and designs were adjusted before the final item was produced. These included a smartphone stylus, a gardening aid and a holder for a knitting loom. In Washington DC, USA, residents at the Knollwood retirement community have also been introduced to 3D printing through a makerspace developed with the University of Maryland. In Singapore, older people at NTUC Health Active Ageing Centres have learned to design and print their own objects. That opens another use for the technology. It does not have to sit behind the scenes as a piece of equipment used by staff. It can also become part of resident activities, technology programmes and intergenerational projects. Then there are the more serious applications. Researchers have been exploring 3D-printed texturemodified foods for people with dysphagia, aiming to produce foods that are safe to swallow yet look more like the original meal. Other healthcare applications already include customised orthoses, prosthetic

components and medical devices. This is where the line starts to change. There is a big difference between printing a bingo piece and printing something that affects a resident’s mobility, therapy or clinical care. The more important the function, the more important the checks around design, materials, durability, cleaning and professional assessment become. The printer itself also needs some thought. Desktop filament printers can release ultrafine particles and volatile compounds while operating, so where the printer sits, how well the area is ventilated and what filament is used all matter in a care environment. For New Zealand providers, this may be less about deciding whether to buy a 3D printer and more about looking at the small problems residents and staff are already trying to solve. How often is a product almost right, but not quite? How often does someone stop doing an activity because they can no longer comfortably hold the equipment? How often is a simple item ordered when it could have been made to suit the resident? A bingo piece is a very small start, but that may be exactly why the Orana example is worth watching. It shows how a relatively simple piece of technology can be used to solve very ordinary problems, one resident at a time. August/September 2026

Does Training Change What Happens on Shift?

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ementia care is a good example. Knowing the principles of personcentred care is one thing. Choosing the right words, slowing a conversation down or recognising when to stop pushing ahead can be quite different when it is happening during a busy shift. A recent New Zealand pilot has been looking at whether staff can practise some of those decisions before they need to make them on the floor. Alzheimers New Zealand’s Dementia Learning Centre recently completed an eight-week pilot of CarePlay, an app-based learning tool developed by Mentia Health. Rather

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than asking participants to simply work through information, CarePlay places them in everyday dementiacare scenarios and asks them to decide how they would respond. The pilot involved three New Zealand organisations, including two residential aged care homes and one home-based support provider. Alzheimers New Zealand reported that all participants found CarePlay useful, with 62.5 percent rating it very or extremely useful. Staff also reported changes to how they worked, including slowing conversations, offering simpler choices, and listening more closely. Those results are worth looking

at, but they should not be stretched further than the pilot allows. Alzheimers New Zealand’s published account does not give the number of individual participants, and the changes in practice were reported by those taking part. It did not measure whether the training produced better resident outcomes. It does raise a useful question for providers reviewing their own training. How much of what staff learn gives them the chance to practise the situations they will eventually face? A staff member may understand what person-centred dementia care looks like on paper but still find it difficult to decide what to do when

someone becomes distressed or refuses assistance. Being able to work through different responses, including what may not work, adds another layer to learning. Formal training is evolving too. Careerforce refreshed its Dementia Care Level 4 programme earlier this year, drawing on feedback from employers, assessors and learners. The update reflects a continuing focus across the sector on keeping dementia learning connected to the situations workers encounter in day-to-day care. There is growing interest internationally in taking that practical approach further. A small Canadian study published this year followed eight managers across four long-term and homecare organisations as they introduced virtual reality dementia communication training. Managers became more positive about the approach as they gained experience with it, but the study also identified some very familiar problems. Training still needed to fit around staffing levels, rosters and existing workloads. Protected training time, smaller groups and a staged approach helped, but none of those things removes the operational question of when staff are actually going to do it. That matters just as much as the technology being used. Staff will always need information and qualifications. But much of aged care comes down to small decisions made during ordinary interactions with residents. For providers, the next training review may therefore need to go beyond asking who has completed a module. The better question may be what staff can do differently once they have. August/September 2026

Insurance Helps Mop up Rest Home Water Damage Water damage is one of the biggest issues facing rest home operators today. Whether it’s caused by a hidden plumbing leak, a resident leaving a tap running, or an unforeseen equipment failure like a burst sprinkler system, the consequences can extend far beyond a quick mop-up operation.

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the resulting saturation often compromises surrounding walls, flooring, and adjacent rooms. Repairing the damage can take weeks or months. Relocating affected residents uses up vacant beds, preventing you from admitting new longer-term residents or short-term respite clients. That of course then translates into lost income.If the leak impacts a critical operational hub, like a commercial kitchen or laundry, you may be forced to outsource catering and linen services at a premium until repairs finish.

evere water damage is not only costly to repair it can also mean a loss of income if residents need to be relocated while work is carried out. The ripple effect of gradual and unseen leaks. With multiple ensuites, shared bathrooms, and commercial kitchens, rest homes are a highrisk environment for gradual water damage. When a hidden pipe leaks or a tap is left running unnoticed,

When a sprinkler system caused over $100k in damage. To understand how rapidly a water-related incident can escalate, especially in terms of cost, here is a recent example involving a local rest home under new management. Just days after the new owners took over, an overheating fault triggered a massive burst in the sprinkler system. The resulting flood damaged the fire protection system and caused extensive water damage throughout the facility. All residents had to be evacuated and accommodated in other facilities while drying out and temporary repairs were completed. Despite immediate action by the owners to mitigate the loss, the repairs took several months. Part of this was attributed to the fact that the incident occurred two weeks before Christmas, meaning up to a month just to get quotes and secure tradespeople to do the work. Although they could move the residents back in after eight days, they had to shuffle them around and share rooms as the renovations were undertaken. No new residents or respite care clients could be accommodated during this time. This not only reduced the rest home’s income, but they also had to pay the other rest homes for the care of the residents. On top of this, some of the displaced residents did not return after the initial eight-day evacuation resulting in a long-term revenue impact.

How insurance steps in to assist. • Good insurance cover is often the only shield against the catastrophic financial impact of major water damage. Here’s how it assisted in this instance and how it can also step in when other water-related incidents occur. • Material Damage insurance. • Covers the physical loss (including the fire protection • system repairs in the case above) along with associated costs such as - emergency • cleaning/drying, container hire for temporary storage, building repairs, carpet and furniture replacement, and electrical work. • Increased Cost of Working. • Covers the elevated operational costs incurred during a • crisis, such as compensating other facilities for taking in residents. • Business Interruption based on gross revenue. • Ensures loss of income during major disruptions is compensated based on lost gross revenue rather than gross • profit, therefore protecting the home's baseline operational stability. Be prepared before the water flows. Water damage is rarely just a building repair issue, it is a fullscale business interruption event. Regular maintenance of taps and sprinkler systems, clear emergency response plans, and tailored Business Interruption insurance are essential to keeping your facility operational and secure. Understanding the ripple effects of water damage not only help you to safeguard your residents but also your bottom line. ICIB has been working with rest home operators for over 30 years. If you need confidence that your business can sustain serious water damage or other disruptions, get in touch to arrange a no obligation review – insurance@icib.co.nz or 0800 644 444. August/September 2026

Protecting a Sustainable Workforce

Workforce availability will always be a consideration in healthcare, as it influences not only where providers grow, but how they operate.

s a national provider, much of Heritage Lifecare’s growth comes from homes that it already owns, teams who have often been working with the company for many years, and local partners in allied health with whom Heritage has developed relationships over successive years. “At Heritage, we are focused on making roles easier and more sustainable for our teams through standardisation, digitisation, supportive systems, and reducing administrative burden,” said Heritage Lifecare Chief Operating Officer Jodie Schorn. “We are also focused on strengthening leadership capability and building an engaged and positive team culture, in environments where our people want to work.” Schorn added that this is part of the company’s focus on creating teams people want to join, and workplaces where people want to stay. She said that when teams feel supported, this has a positive impact on the experience of residents and families. Aged care is relationship-based, and many of Heritage’s long-serving team members are deeply connected to the residents, families and communities they support. At Waiapu House in Havelock North, Gillian Longley recently marked 30 years of service. Across kitchen, caregiving, laundry and cleaning roles, she has trained new caregivers, supported residents and families, and remained deeply connected to the home. Her story reflected the value of long-serving teams: continuity, local knowledge, mentoring and trusted relationships. For Heritage, workforce sustainability is not only about recruitment. It is about creating the

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conditions where people can do their best work, build meaningful careers in aged care, and continue providing the level of care residents deserve. Resident expectations are evolving towards communities that offer greater choice and personalisation, in environments that feel homely and familiar. Schorn said there was a growing desire for relationship-centred villages and care centres that support not only the residents, but also their families. “We appreciate that the aged care journey is an emotive one, and for us, relationships are just as important as clinical services when it comes to aged care.” Supporting this through empathy, understanding and education for the residents and families it serves is the role Heritage has taken on. Schorn said that, ultimately, families want reassurance, transparency and confidence, while residents want to feel known, respected and supported as their needs change. This has influenced both the way Heritage has thought about its services and the way it has created the physical environment. A practical example is the installation of specially designed dementia-friendly room doors at its Broadview Lifecare care home, which has helped residents living with dementia more easily recognise their own rooms and feel more confident in their environment. Schorn said that these may seem like small design choices, but they reflect a bigger principle. “As care needs become more complex, our environments need to support independence, familiarity, dignity and wellbeing. We actively look for the everyday moments that

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build confidence and connection for residents and their families.” Looking ahead, Schorn said the biggest industry challenge is not a single factor, but the intersection of increasing acuity, workforce sustainability, and affordability pressures. The complexity of care is rising, with residents entering services later and requiring more specialised support. At the same time, the cost of care is increasing, while the public health system faces growing strain. Providers will need to keep evolving sustainably while balancing quality, affordability, workforce capability and resident expectations, without compromising care. This will require honest sector-wide conversations about sustainable funding models, workforce planning, care models, and the role aged care plays within the wider health system. It will also require careful consideration of how care is funded in the future, including the balance between government funding, provider sustainability, and the contribution residents and families may make for services beyond core funded care. “We believe that the organisations that succeed will be those that invest in their people and leadership, standardise care in a way that supports quality and consistency, and introduce sustainable funding approaches while staying connected to the moments that really matter.” Schorn added that the sector is not only growing, but it is also fundamentally changing. “Our role is to ensure we evolve in a way that protects what matters most: affordable, high-quality, deeply human care for every New Zealander, delivered in environments people trust.” August/September 2026

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