A year to remember

Although 2020 was a year of ups and downs for world, here in Wanaka Retirement Village we did all the right things and kept each other safe.

A small community such as ours means Villagers keep an eye on each other when asked, and during the various Covid-19 lockdown levels that mutual caring meant no-one felt isolated or under stress.

As part of Presbyterian Support Otago we benefitted from the vast experience and informed decision-making of health and safety professionals built up over many years of providing services for older people in the region.

All our activities stopped during levels 3 and 4 but communication didn’t, and that written and phone contact was key to ensuring Villagers felt safe and secure when the world around them was struggling.

Villagers who played 500 and Scrabble seemed to go through more withdrawal symptoms (!!) that others and were quick to get back into their routines when activities resumed.

We finished the year with our 10th Anniversary celebrated alongside Christmas out in the Pembroke Courtyard.

The Village can summarise 2020 with a few bullet points:

• New gardening contractors waved their magic wands and gardens have been refreshed, creating colour, form and beauty
• New Villagers arrived adding spark and laughter to our group
• Happy Hours became a weekly event rather than fortnightly
• Villagers won awards in various art, baking and sporting contests
• Submissions were made to the NZ Commerce Commission regarding the electricity price increases proposed by Aurora
• We installed free wifi to all Apartment Villagers and the Pembroke Lounge
• A new Maintenance Manager was appointed
• The annual Villagers Satisfaction Survey was overwhelmingly positive
• Adjacent land was purchased to provide a few more villas and apartments in the near future
• Plans were underway to create a new Pembroke Lounge, office and meeting room