Avonlea Rest Home

OFFICES: TAURANGA, ROTORUA & CHRISTCHURCH | 03-222-2383 | www.oxygenit.co.nz BREATHE EASY We’ll keep the IT your business relies on running We understand how frustrating it is to go to work, but can't do your job because the necessary technology doesn't work. When you partner with Oxygen IT, you can rest assured that your IT infrastructure will always work right. SERVER HOSTING & MANAGEMENT • WEB DESIGN & HOSTING • BACKUPS, CYBER SECURITY, VOIP, WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE • IT CONSULTING EFTPOS AND POS LEASING, SALES AND SUPPORT, SECURITY CAMERAS • A RANGE OF IT SUPPORT SERVICES TO SUIT YOUR BUSINESS. Building Compliance • Active Fire Protection Passive Fire Protection • Facilities Management Industry Consulting PO Box 578, Cambridge 3450, New Zealand | 07 827 5104 www.elitebc.co.nz AVONLEA REST HOME retirement village as such, so there is a need. It’s about people who have lived here all their lives, worked and contributed to the community, having to leave because the only accommodation is rental flats that are available through the Council.” Avonlea is a member of Community Trusts in Care Aotearoa (CTCA), comprised of nine rural, not-for- profit Community (health) Trusts. The respective Trusts are the shareholders, and the senior managers of each Trust are the Directors of the company. According to Looby, “About five years ago, some of us managers of rural rest homes were meeting every so often for support and collegial advice, so we formed the CTCA. We actually set up the company to look at how we could survive in the industry because we’ve got some pretty stiff competition against the big corporates. And some of us are in lower socio economic communities. With the nine of us there are 500 or so beds and some have retirement villages, as well. So we bulk purchase all of our food products, our incontinence products, our medical products, our paper and cleaning products.” CTCA uses one preferred auditing agency, and Cubro for all medical beds and equipment. Recently, they’ve taken on AON Insurance and received massive discounts because they’re insuring nine rest homes. Although food supply purchases are contracted with Bid Food, the individual rest homes are allowed to purchase produce from the area, so it doesn’t cut out the locals. Along with a discounted bulk purchase price, at the end of each financial year the spend comes back to the CTCA as a percentage rebate from suppliers. “And we’re looking at taking on Associate Members as part of CTCA,” says Looby. “They’ll get the right to join us and get the bulk purchase discount. We’ve saved thousands just on incontinence products and medical supplies – it’s been very beneficial.” As for long-term objectives, adding the independent living units is at the top of Looby’s wish list. She notes, “We’re hoping that will happen in the next six to twelve months, and then it will take eight to ten months to complete, with all