Remuera Rise
Questions We Are Often Asked
LifeCare Residences is an internationally renowned retirement community owner and operator, dedicated to creating lifestyles and environments that enrich the lives of its residents. LifeCare Residences currently owns and operates two retirement communities in New Zealand, Remuera Rise and Waiheke Retirement Village, and three retirement communities in England, Grove Place in Hampshire, Somerleigh Court in Dorset and Battersea Place in London.
The LifeCare Residences group is majority-owned and controlled by Cliff Cook. Cliff has over 30 year’s experience in the New Zealand private healthcare industry. He was a Founding Director and shareholder of listed company and retirement village operator Metlifecare Limited. He is a founding and former Executive Member and Chairman of the Retirement Villages Association of New Zealand and a founding member of Residential Care NZ Inc.
Construction of Remuera Rise was completed in July 2013.
The retirement village lifestyle offers many benefits, including:
- The companionship and social interaction that thrives in a village community.
- The sense of safety enjoyed because of the added level of village security.
- The removal of the burden of home and garden maintenance.
- The freedom to lock-up and go away on holiday without having to worry about your home.
- Peace of mind, knowing that there is assistance available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
- Access to a range of facilities for the exclusive enjoyment of village residents.
At the time of entering Remuera Rise, residents must be at least 65 years of age.
Your new home comes with high-quality fittings and finishes and is well-appointed for your comfort, features include:
- Kitchen appliance package: single dish drawer, concealed rangehood, electric cooktop, wall oven.
- Laundry package: clothes dryer.
- Soft furnishings: carpet, drapes and roller blinds.
- Heating: individually controlled heat pump with concealed high-level vent to living area and master bedroom.
- Audio, video intercom system.
- 24-hour emergency call with two-way communication.
- Guest apartment.
The facilities at Remuera Rise are provided for the exclusive use of residents, their family and friends and invited guests of Remuera Rise.
The facilities include:
- Café and dining room
- Lounge and bar
- Library and study
- Arts and crafts room
- Billiards room
- Heated indoor swimming pool and spa
- Gymnasium
- Hair salon
- Village transportation
At Remuera Rise, we provide access to a range of optional, organised activities and regular events, offering you the freedom to be as active and as social as you choose. Whatever your interests, there will be something for you to enjoy.
The various activities that may be available include:
- Exercise classes e.g. Yoga, Tai Chi
- Aqua aerobics
- Happy hour
- Themed social events
- Quiz nights
- Movie evenings and matinees
- Hobby and craft classes
- Card Club e.g. Bridge
- Book Club
- Walking groups
- Regular shopping trips
- Organised social outings
Remuera Rise encourages residents to provide suggestions to further enhance the variety of activities offered.
Remuera Rise offers an enhanced level of safety; all apartments are fitted with the latest in emergency call technology providing access to assistance 24-hours, seven days a week.
Remuera Rise offers a full continuum of care which means that you can access additional domestic and personal care services as your needs change.
Lifestyle Services
We offer a personalised approach to your care at home. Many things make home special, but it is the comfort and confidence you enjoy from living in your home that is important to us. At Remuera Rise, we are committed to building a relationship with you, to understanding your current needs and to providing services which support you to maintain your lifestyle at home. We can remove the burden of many of the chores and responsibilities that now consume your time and restrict your freedom.
We can assist you with those daily activities that aren’t as easy for you as they used to be, so you may continue to live independently in your apartment. Whether you require temporary support a few hours a week or more comprehensive 24-hour assistance, we can provide an array of lifestyle services to you in your apartment, tailored to your specific requirements.
Some of the lifestyle services available include:
- Housekeeping
- Meals
- Medication reminders
- Personal care assistance
Advanced In-home Care
Our trained staff are able to provide advanced in-home care and support services should you require convalescence or long term care. A personalised care plan and related fees will be provided on assessment of your individual requirements.
Care Home
In addition, Remuera Rise has a boutique hospital-level Care Home which provides a range of more specialist services, if required. The Care Home includes 12 care suites and a separate dining and lounge area for Care Home residents. Residents of the Village have priority access to the Care Home.
Your apartment is your own home so, naturally, you can have visitors at any time. However, your guests are not allowed to stay with you permanently. In each 12 month period you are only permitted to have all guests stay for a total period of 90 days. When accompanied by you or another village resident, your guests may use any of the Village facilities during their stay, except the gymnasium which is for residents use only.
Village life brings security and freedom to travellers. Your apartment is your home, and therefore you may come and go as you please. One of the many advantages of living at Remuera Rise is that you can go on holiday for a week, a month, or a year, with peace of mind – knowing that your home will be secure and maintained while you are away.
Yes, but you will need to obtain the Village Manager’s approval to keep a pet at Remuera Rise. We will be considerate of your needs as we recognise the value of pets and the companionship they provide. However, any pet must not intrude on any other resident’s quiet enjoyment of their home and of the village amenities.
A Village Compendium is provided to residents when they move in, which provides an informative A to Z for the Village, including hours of operation and rules for the common facilities. Your rights and obligations are also set out in the Disclosure Statement.
Residents are required to pay a Weekly Fee which is a contribution toward the general costs of operating Remuera Rise.
Examples of the costs covered by the Weekly Fee include:
- Council rates.
- Broadway Park Residents’ Society Levy.
- Insurances for buildings and other risks.
- Operating costs of the community facilities.
- General building maintenance and upkeep of community facilities.
- Staffing costs, including Village management.
The Weekly Fee, which is set at the time you enter Remuera Rise, is a fixed amount for your entire period of occupancy of your Apartment. The Weekly Fee will not be varied regardless of any changes to the operating expenses of Remuera Rise.
No, we believe that Weekly Fee charges should not continue to be charged indefinitely after the resident has left the apartment. Pursuant to the Retirement Villages Act 2003, the Weekly Fee charge reduces by 50% six months after the resident has vacated the apartment; we have gone one step further and stop the Weekly Fee completely at nine months.
You will be responsible for your private utility charges such as electricity, telephone, water usage, insurance premiums for your personal contents insurance and any medical, hairdressing and other personal requirements. You will also be responsible for the maintenance to the interior of your apartment, including the fixtures, fittings and Operator’s chattels.
As you can imagine, maintaining, refurbishing and upgrading the facilities and infrastructure at Remuera Rise, for the enjoyment of all residents, requires on-going expenditure. The Deferred Management Fee shares these costs equitably among residents. The amount any single resident is required to contribute is 10% per annum of the Entry Payment and, if applicable, of the Carpark Payment, for the first three years of occupation to a maximum charge of 30% of the Entry Payment and, if applicable, of the Carpark Payment. This is not an additional upfront fee as it is payable on your departure from Remuera Rise and at completion of the sale of your apartment. Once the Deferred Management Fee is fully accrued, it will not be charged again if you transfer to a different apartment at Remuera Rise.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 and its regulations are designed to protect residents’ interests and set out the basic standards for operating a village. These include disclosure of information to intending and existing residents, protections around residents’ financial interests, the details of termination arrangements, the relationship between the owner and residents, methods of dispute resolution, and residents’ rights. More information about the Retirement Villages Act 2003 and its regulations can be found on the following government websites: http://www.adbh.govt.nz/seniorline (Auckland District Health Board) http://www.retirementvillages.org.nz (Retirement Village Association) http://www.cffc.org.nz (Commission of Financial Capability)
The Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) is a contract between you and the Operator, Remuera Rise Limited, and it confirms your exclusive right to live in your apartment and to enjoy the services and facilities at Remuera Rise. The Retirement Villages Act 2003 requires each village to be registered as a retirement village under the Act. Remuera Rise was registered as a retirement village with the Registrar of Retirement Villages on 28 February 2012. A Memorial Notice is registered against the title to the village property to ensure that the village land will always be used as a retirement village. This helps ensure that residents continue to be protected by the Act and can continue to live in the village if it is sold. In addition, your interests are protected by way of a mortgage which is registered on the title in favour of the Village’s Statutory Supervisor, Covenant Trustee Services Limited. This mortgage is a first charge over the land and acts as security for the performance of the Operator’s responsibilities under the ORA.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 requires each retirement village to observe a Code of Practice which sets out minimum standards by which the Village must abide.
These include:
- Staffing of the village.
- Safety and personal security of residents.
- Fire protection and emergency management.
- Transfer of residents within a village.
- Meetings between residents and the operator.
- Complaints facility.
- Accounts.
- Insurance requirements.
- Maintenance and upgrading.
- Process for terminating the Occupation Right Agreement by either the operator or resident.
- Resale and repayment process.
- Communication.
A copy of the Code of Practice will be provided to you when you complete an Application for an Occupation Right Agreement.
The statutory supervisor is an independent professional organisation approved by the Registrar of Retirement Villages who is responsible for monitoring the village’s financial position, the security interests of residents, and the management of the village. The statutory supervisor intervenes on the residents’ behalf where necessary. Covenant Trustee Services Limited has been appointed as the statutory supervisor of Remuera Rise under a Deed of Supervision dated 16 January 2012, to ensure that Remuera Rise meets its obligations to residents. These obligations are set out in your Occupation Right Agreement and the Disclosure Statement.
A Residents’ Committee has been formed at Remuera Rise which is made up of resident representatives elected by the residents themselves. The Committee acts as the residents’ voice to liaise with management and has an important role in the smooth running of Remuera Rise. The Residents’ Committee meets regularly with the Village Manager and can raise any issues on your behalf. Above all, you are always welcome to talk with the Village Manager about your issues, rights and requests at any time.
Yes. The Operator annually submits financial reports to all residents at the Annual General Meeting. There reports include prior year profit and loss accounts and coming year forecast. These accounts are reviewed by the Operator’s Auditors, the Statutory Supervisor and the Companies Office. The Statutory Supervisor also requests a quarterly financial update from the Operator during the year.
If, for some reason you choose to leave Remuera Rise, we will repay your Entry Payment to you, which is the amount you paid on entering the Village, less a Deferred Management Fee of 10% per annum for each of the first three years of occupation, and any other deductions noted in your Occupation Right Agreement, no later than 5 working days after settlement to a new resident.
If you have undergone a Needs Assessment with an assessor from the District Health Board and you have been assessed as requiring full-time care in a Care Home, you may be able to transfer to the Care Home at Remuera Rise, if a care suite is available and the level of care provided is appropriate; alternatively, you may have to transfer to a separate Care Home. Upon your transfer, we will arrange the sale of your apartment and you will receive back the Entry Payment, less the accrued Deferred Management Fee. The funds due to you will be paid to you no more than five working days after the Operator has received payment for your apartment from a new resident. The amount that you receive as your repayment entitlement may be taken into account by the Ministry of Health if you are applying for a Residential Care Subsidy and become part of your income and asset testing threshold. Asset testing thresholds and criteria vary each year.
If you have undergone a Needs Assessment with an assessor from the District Health Board and you have been assessed as requiring full-time care in a Care Home, you may be able to transfer to the Care Home at Remuera Rise, if a care suite is available and the level of care provided is appropriate; alternatively, you may have to transfer to a separate Care Home. Upon your transfer, we will arrange the sale of your apartment and you will receive back the Entry Payment, less the accrued Deferred Management Fee. The funds due to you will be paid to you no more than five working days after the Operator has received payment for your apartment from a new resident. The amount that you receive as your repayment entitlement may be taken into account by the Ministry of Health if you are applying for a Residential Care Subsidy and become part of your income and asset testing threshold. Asset testing thresholds and criteria vary each year. There are no hidden costs. You are not required to pay for any administration or sales and marketing costs when we sell your apartment.
We are responsible for all refurbishment costs associated with bringing your apartment up to a standard suitable for sale. However, if there is any damage, including damage by pets or through smoking, or unreasonable wear that is beyond fair wear and tear, then you will be responsible for that portion of the costs as determined through an independent assessment.
If a sale takes longer than nine months after you vacate your apartment, we will pay interest on the exit payment entitlement due to you. As noted above, your weekly fee will reduce by 50% after the apartment has been vacant for six months and will cease at nine months.
When you have made the decision to move to Remuera Rise, you will be required to complete an Application Form.
During the application process, we will take the time to discuss your situation and ensure that we have explained the way Remuera Rise will operate and answer any questions you may have. We will provide you with:
- a copy of the form of Disclosure Statement,
- a copy of the form of Occupation Right Agreement,
- our Complaints Policy,
- the Code of Residents’ Rights, and,
- the Code of Practice.
You may also request a copy of the Deed of Supervision. We know it is a lot of reading, but we want you to be comfortable that, based upon the information provided, you have made the right decision.
We will also give you a medical form to take to your doctor to complete and for your doctor to confirm that a retirement village is a suitable place for you to live and for us to assess whether we will be able to accommodate any health issues you may have.
When the Application has been completed, we will arrange for documentation to be sent to your Lawyer. We will contact you to let you know when the documentation has been sent to your Lawyer so you can make an appointment to sign your Occupation Right Agreement (“ORA”). You must obtain independent legal advice before you sign the ORA so that the ORA is fully explained to you. A deposit of $5,000 made payable to Covenant Trustee Services Limited is required at the time of signing the ORA with your Lawyer. No further financial commitment is required until you move to Remuera Rise.
If you change your mind after you have signed the ORA, you may withdraw from the purchase if you provide written notice to us within 15 working days from the time you signed the ORA. This 15 working day period is called the ‘cooling-off period’. If you decide not to proceed with your ORA during this period, your total deposit will be refunded to you (with interest) within five working days.
Should you require any further information, please contact us on:
