Cromwell's two retirement villages change ownership

A company that owns four other retirement villages around the country has added Cromwell's Golden View and Ripponburn to its collection.

Promisia Healthcare has announced it is taking over the retirement villages from Wednesday, August 28.

The villages - the town's only two - have until now been owned by a group of local shareholders.

Promisia is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and already owns two care facilities in Fielding, one in Dannevirke and one in Christchurch.

Promisia group general manger Karen Lake says for residents living at the Cromwell villages the change of ownership "won't mean a lot", although there are plans in the longer term for local investment.

She says across the two locations 141 of 145 staff are committed to remaining in their jobs throughout the handover.

"So they (the residents) have got the same staff around them...they'll receive the same level of service...they'll still see the same friendly faces."

However Ms Lakes says there is demand for more village space in Cromwell, and while Golden View's land bank is "maxed out" that's not the case across the highway at Ripponburn, where she thinks there is room to grow and upgrade what's on offer.

She says the buildings there are older and it will be increasingly challenging to keep them "both standing and compliant".

Ms Lakes says there is also growing demand for hospital level and dementia care in the region, which Promisia will look to respond to.

Alzheimer's New Zealand predicts by 2050 170,000 Kiwis will be living with dementia, and Ms Lakes says there are currently only 12 dementia beds in Cromwell.

"It means people living away from their families, where they have kids and where they've brought up their families...It makes it really hard to see their loved ones."

Ms Lake has a strong clinical background and says she will be working to ensure high-calibre care is delivered across all of Promisia's centres, including its latest two additions, which will continue to be known as Golden View and Ripponburn.

Promisia has an office in Christchurch, where nine support staff work.

Main images (Facebook): Cromwell's Golden View and Ripponburn retirement villages are under new ownership from Wednesday, August 28, 2024.