Nor'West News: February 11, 2020

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Tuesday February 11 2020 5
News
Care and financial certainty
LUXURY: The newly opened Ashley Suites at The Russley Village
aged care facility is offering a New Zealand first payment option
A NEW aged care facility at
a luxury retirement village
in Christchurch is providing
financial certainty for families
looking for quality care and
accommodation for their elders
in what is a New Zealand first in
the aged care sector.
The newly opened Ashley
Suites in The Russley Village is
offering a ‘care bond’ option for
families wanting to pay a lump
sum rather than daily fees for use
of a luxury care unit.
But rather than having to wait
until a unit is re-licensed as in
many other facilities in New Zealand,
the care bond offered at the
Ashley Suites ensures families
are repaid no later than 42 days
after the bond is terminated.
It is a New Zealand first in the
aged care sector and the village’s
parent company, Generus Living
Group, will be offering it as an
option at other care facilities it
is developing throughout New
Zealand.
Director Graham Wilkinson
says research has shown that
while families are happy to
purchase a care unit to secure
a premium level of care and
accommodation for their loved
ones, the uncertainty of when
they would be repaid was a cause
for concern.
“We looked at care models
both in New Zealand and
overseas and felt that an arrange-
to provide better financial certainty.
ment that provided first-class
hotel-style care while providing
security around financial terms
was needed. We believe this will
be the only care facility in New
Zealand that currently offers this
level of comfort.”
Wilkinson has a history of
five-star hotel developments
before starting Generus Living
and the company’s villages take
cues from resorts and hospitality
trends. This latest development is
an elegant mix of care suites and
one and two-bedroom serviced
apartments including in-house
physiotherapist, podiatrist, dietitian-designed
gourmet menu,
dedicated general practitioner,
hair salon, cinema and accessible
swimming pool.
Built on the former site of
the Russley Hotel, The Russley
Village is a mix of villas, townhouses
and apartments and since
opening almost 10 years ago has
been recognised nationally as
one of the most progressive retirement
villages in the country.
It contains its own cafe and brasserie
in its community facility,
The Homestead, and includes a
bespoke cinema, library, study,
computer area, arts and craft
space and a wellbeing suite offering
services such as a hair salon.
Take a free bus to
concert and fireworks
A FREE park and ride service is
going to make it easy to get
to the YES Power Sparks
concert in North Hagley Park
on Saturday.
Sparks, which features the
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
and a dazzling fireworks
finale, is one of the biggest events
on the SummerTimes calendar
and traditionally attracts a crowd
of more than 50,000.
To make travel to the event
easy, a free park and ride service
will operate from Canterbury
University’s Clyde Rd car park
and from the Cranley St bus stop
by Eastgate Shopping Centre.
Between 5pm and 8.30pm
people will be able to park at the
university and the mall main car
park and then catch a free bus to
North Hagley Park.
At the conclusion of Sparks,
buses will return people to the
university and Eastgate. The
departing buses will leave from
Park Tce (across from Peterborough
St) between 10 and
10.15pm.
“The Night Noodle Market is
on the same night as Sparks so
we are expecting a huge crowd in
North Hagley Park.
“The free park and ride service
will ease the pressure on the
central city parking and make
it easy for people to enjoy the
night’s festivities,’’ city council
events and arts manager Lucy
Blackmore said.
“We are also going to have
cycle stands and scooter parking
available in the park, just past the
Armagh St bridge, for those who
want to bike or scooter in for the
night.’’
For those intending to travel
by car to the event, there will be a
drop-off point on Rolleston Ave
between Gloucester St and Armagh
St (outside Christ’s College).
People with mobility passes
will be able to park in the mobility
parking area on Chester St
West.
“It you do plan to come by car
please be aware that the Botanic
Gardens Armagh St car park
will be closed to incoming traffic
from 3pm and closed to all traffic
from 5pm,’’ Ms Blackmore said.
If you are looking for information
about places to park, there’s
a great interactive map on the
city council’s website.
The main Sparks concert will
begin at 7.30pm but there will
be live entertainment in North
Hagley Park from 6.30pm. The
Night Noodle Market will be
operating from 1pm.
The fireworks will begin about
9.40pm.
If the weather is wet, Sparks
will be postponed to Sunday.
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