Business View Oceania | January 2020

105 106 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA JANUARY 2020 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA JANUARY 2020 cottages are of course independent living, and we are aware if we were to get any bigger (in terms of cottages) that we would no longer be able to give surety to our village residents that our aim is to ensure transition into our facility as their needs change.” BVO: What are the biggest challenges for WINDSORCARE? Smith: “Finances remain very challenging for us as a Charitable Trust. The last few years has seen significant wage and compliance pressure placed on facilities overall which has not been recovered through our key partnership contracts. As a smaller, independent provider financial stressors hit us harder since we don’t have ‘big brother’ to fall back on! “Digitisation. Slowly but surely the industry is evolving its systems to digitisation. However, as a result of the risk matrix that’s inherent here in Christchurch, in and around earthquakes, the ability for us to access and connect to the internet in case of natural disasters remains problematic. So we aren’t as interconnected at that level as a lot of other forms of businesses are. Simply because if the internet was to go down during a big event, we wouldn’t have access to records for our residents’ care, and we refuse to go there. So we are deliberately technologically behind. “From a clinical perspective, the industry is facing a change due to the inclusion of bariatric care. Nothing’s changed in the challenges of heavy lifting and the number of people it takes to do it. Once we start having people over 200 kilos, then we have to move our capabilities in a different direction. Although currently not a challenge, we do have an eye to the future.” BVO: What do you see for the future of healthcare in New Zealand? Smith: “Inevitably, I see some very significant challenges as providers with profit driven philosophies clash with the expectations of WINDSORCARE a clientele unable to pay for the luxury suite of services. We can already see the majority of new market growth is in the top end ‘chandelier hanging from the ceiling’ type place. However, there is a much bigger base of ordinary New Zealanders who will also need care, but have no means to afford what is on offer. As such, the government is going to be challenged because the big players are going to disregard the lower end of the spectrum to concentrate on where the money is. And the big question is who is going to pick up the rest? Suffice it to say, these are all economic arguments which still don’t get to the core reason for our being which is to look after the elderly in a way that promotes and enhances their lives, however long they may be! In other words, the dynamism of change in the industry is set to continue for some time which will keep us on our toes as we look to remain relevant as a provider of care to the elderly.” W: WWW.MGZ.CO.NZ E: CAREY@MGZ.CO.NZ P: 03 365 2345 MGZ Employment Law is a dedicated company of expert advisors providing proven and cost-effective employment law advocacy services to employers throughout New Zealand; solving problems and providing solutions before issues become costly. OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Advice on all employment relations matters Employment Agreement - Drafting - Advocacy Advocacy in Collective Agreement Negotiations Employment Relationship Problems, Personal Grievance and Dispute Resolution, Mediation, Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court Client Newsletter and Updates Training We are proud of our long association with Windsor Care Retirement Village and Glenwood Home providing support, advice, solutions and representation. PREFERRED VENDORS n MGZ Employment Law www.mgz.co.nz n Strawberry Sound www.strawberrysound.co.nz PROUD TO BE PREFERRED SUPPLIERS TO Windsor Care. CONGRATULATIONS ON 60 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN THE CARE INDUSTRY. ... STRAWBERRY SOUND SUPPLIERS OF NURSE CALL SOLUTIONS DEMENTIA WONDER SHIELD TV DISTRIBUTION HEARING ASSIST SOLUTIONS AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEMS 35 CARLYLE ST CHRISTCHURCH PH 03 379 8477 EMAIL: OFFICE@STRAWBERRYSOUND.CO.NZ WWW.STRAWBERRYSOUND.CO.NZ