Nor'West News: March 23, 2023

Thursday March 23 2023 9
Diana Isaac Retirement Village Manager
Steve Wakeman has had a long and illustrious
career in the world of hospitality, including a
stint in one of the finest 5-star hotels in the
US, the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco.
Steve’s introduction to Ryman’s hospitality
came after he moved to New Zealand
and, along with his partner, developed a
boutique lodge in Golden Bay.
During their time running the lodge,
residents from Ryman’s Ernest Rutherford
village in Nelson would sometimes visit.
Steve got chatting with them and liked
what he heard.
“I saw how much they loved their village,”
he says.
When they sold the lodge, Steve spent
some time thinking about what he would
like to do next. After his experiences
getting to know the Ernest Rutherford
village residents, he had an inkling that
managing a retirement village would be an
ideal fit for him.
Ryman was his preferred company to
work with because of its great reputation,
so when the village manager role at Ryman’s
Rowena Jackson village in Invercargill
became available, he jumped at the chance.
Steve loved his time there, however
his home and his partner are in North
Canterbury. So, when he was offered
the village manager role at Diana Isaac
village, he was excited to come back north
to Christchurch.
“The beautiful thing about working for
Ryman is each village operates under the
same structure but has its unique look and
feeling and energy,” he says.
Steve has enjoyed getting to know the
unique Diana Isaac community of residents
and team members. The supportive village
team includes Shane Vargas and Anna
Scott, who share the Clinical Manager role.
This gives a great work-life balance to Shane
and Anna who both have young families.
“The residents here, especially the
independent residents, are very energetic,
and I thrive on that. We get along
swimmingly - I’ll go over during happy hour
and have a good chat. The team have been
very welcoming too,” says Steve.
“Our residents pride themselves on being
very friendly, which is really nice. There’s
a real emphasis on that, a real effort to
include everybody.”
In keeping with Ryman’s commitment to
the village’s community, the village centre is
undergoing some exciting upgrades. “The
residents enjoy watching the progress,”
says Steve.
“The whole kitchen’s getting refurbished.
We’re adding a café, which I’m super
excited about. It will be a full sit-down cafe
with indoor-outdoor seating and flow, and
it’ll be well patronised, that’s for sure!”
The assisted living apartment lounge
and dining area also have expansion work
underway. Another bonus for Steve and the
village community is that Diana Isaac village
gets many opportunities to trial new initiatives
that will improve the lives of residents.
One such initiative is Home Care, a suite
of optional care and hospitality services
such as housekeeping, meals, or assistance
with showering and medication, offered in
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PUTTING ON THE RITZ AT DIANA ISAAC RETIREMENT VILLAGE
Village Manager, Steve Wakeman
the comfort of a resident’s own townhouse
or independent apartment.
“It’s a great choice for people that aren’t
ready to move into a serviced apartment
or into resthome care. But they might need
a little bit of help, it might even be a shortterm
thing where they had surgery and
need help for a few weeks. With Home Care
we can do that right in their apartment or
townhouse in the village, where they feel
most comfortable.”
Assistance with housekeeping has been
a popular choice, and some residents are
also getting care services which help them
to stay independent for longer and make
the most of life at the village.
“It’s a great, fun, vibrant village to live in,”
says Steve.
It can be seen in the beautiful gardens, in
the activities and social opportunities for
residents, and in team members supporting
residents and each other.
“When people come here, we are
welcoming, and we take the time to get to
know them,” says Steve.
“At Ryman we ask, ‘What is the measure
of a full life? How can we help residents to
enjoy a full life?’ That’s really important.”
DIANA ISAAC VILLAGE
There’s something for everyone with independent living in a
townhouse or apartment, assisted-living in a serviced apartment,
and resthome, hospital and specialist dementia care.
Call Steve on 386 3018 for more information.
1 Lady Isaac Way, Mairehau
rymanhealthcare.co.nz