Retirement village launches initiative to help residents connect over lockdown

April 3, 2020

Retirement village provider, Metlifecare has launched a range of activites for residents in its 25 villages in order to stay connected amid New Zealand's month-long lockdown.


The Virtual Village was launched this week which gives residents a sense of routine and "something to look forward to," Chief executive Glen Sowry says.

“Supporting our residents during these challenging times is our number one priority. We have assembled a wellbeing taskforce to design a range of initiatives to ensure our residents are supported, engaged and in good spirits during this challenging period,” says Mr Sowry.

Residents have access to an online calendar which features a daily quiz where they can pit their wits against their neighbours.

Villages can take on other villages across the nation, as well as interactive activity sessions hosted by entertainment personality Jason Gunn.

Recorded Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra performances and in-home workouts will also form part of the mix.

For residents not experienced with technology, staff would provide support with setting up online accounts, placing orders, connecting online with family, and accessing the Virtual Village and wellbeing hub.

“Connectedness is critical at this time and we want to ensure our residents can stay in touch during the mandatory distancing period,” says Mr Sowry.

“We are providing active assistance for residents who haven’t used this type of technology before and we’ve set up a tech support line to virtually assist residents in their homes to make use of technology.”

The initiatives would not only have benefits for resident wellbeing and social connection, but would make it as enticing as possible to maintain isolation effectively, keeping everyone safe.

“We strongly support the Government’s advice for over 70 year olds to ‘reach out, don’t go out,’” Mr Sowry said. “And we’re here to help our residents whenever they reach out.”


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