Remaining engaged, active and happy is the key to enjoying retirement, Bill McDonald, CEO of Arvida Group, tells Cityscape.

Why should people consider moving into one of your villages? At Arvida we believe remaining engaged, active and happy is the key to enjoying retirement. We strive to help every one of our residents stay active for longer by understanding their lives and how we can encourage and facilitate their continued engagement with what is important to them. We call this “the Arvida attitude of living well”.

What is the most common misconception people have about retirement villages? A common misconception is that a retirement village is only a rest home, when really there is so much more to a retirement village than just aged care.

Do you specialise in a particular type of village? Every Arvida community has the same philosophy. Each village is unique in format, but all offer great levels of service, support and care. We offer a range of accommodation and care options throughout the country including independent living in villas and apartments, supported living in serviced apartments and studios, and care including rest-home, hospital and dementia care.

What do you offer in the way of outings and social occasions? Activities and events are different everywhere based on the likes and interests of residents. A team member works with residents to put together a monthly activities calendar that will have regular activities and events as well as one-off outings.

What are the points of difference in your offerings? Apart from each village being unique and integrated into its local community, we want residents to feel younger for longer and actively engaged in life. This holistic approach to health and general wellbeing is underpinned by five wellness pillars – eating well, moving well, resting well, thinking well and engaging well.

Are you seeing any trends in the industry and in what clients want? We’re finding that while people want lifestyle living to be safe and secure, they also want to feel connected to the wider community. To support this, Arvida’s new communities won’t be typical gated retirement villages. We are focused on developing amenities that can be used by the local community to create connections and foster friendships across generations.

arvida.co.nz