There was some big news for the retirement village industry this week as Fletcher Building announced its entry into the fast-growing retirement sector. By expanding into the retirement home business, where growth is accelerating to meet the ageing population of the country, the Vivid Living brand for aged living and will partner with Private Care NZ, a subsidiary of the New Zealand Health Group and one of the largest providers of home health care in the country.
Fletcher is developing its first villages within the Fletcher Living communities of Waiata Shores and Red Beach in Auckland, which will be available for visitors to view and buy from March next year.
The villages are growing rapidly to accommodate an ageing population, with the proportion of the population over 75 expected to double over the next 25 years this development had been flagged during an investor meeting in May, where Steve Evans (Chief Executive for Residential and Development at Fletcher Building) identified several key points of difference for their retirement offering.
Vivid Living will charge a smaller deferred management fee, provide residents with a share of capital gains, and take a bespoke approach to health, combining tailored in-home care from NZ Health Group, and age-friendly technology from Spritely.
Evans has confirmed that every Vivid Living house will come with age-friendly technology from Spritely. This is a vote of confidence in Spritely’s technology platform, as Vivid Living launches a unique model for retirement villages in New Zealand. Spritely’s age-friendly technology will simplify communication at Vivid Living by making it easy for management and residents to stay connected with each other. The “always-on” touchscreen in every house comes with a digital noticeboard, direct messaging, video calls, surveys, and health checks.
Residents can use the same touchscreen to support their own health, book activities, manage their calendar, request services (such as maintenance), play games, and check the weather.
The same system also connects them with an unlimited number of friends and family via Spritely’s new companion app. The companion app helps families stay connected and keeps them engaged with the long-term health of relatives.
