Sep-Oct 2016 Issue | Business View Oceania

90 Business View Oceania - September/October 2016 Despite individual differences in re- tirement villages, everymember stands to benefit from the association’s work and that includes both the residents and the owners of the communities. For instance, the RVA has been work- ing hard to change the Rates Rebate Act so that it can include residents of the villages. As it stands right now, residents are not eligible for rebates which means that they are potentially losing a lot of money. John explained that the RVA has been successful in demanding these changes so current and future residents may soon be able to request rate rebates. The supporting side of technology Technology is another element that has impacted the association and the retirement villages in more ways than one. The RVA has been fairly quick to adapt to new technologies with the aforementioned webinars, email newsletters, and a presence in social media. However, the influence of tech- nology is more noticeable in the re- tirement villages themselves. For in- stance, John commented that remote assistance and care is a growing area which can potentially change the way