Innovative care village on schedule for 2025 opening.

Innovative care village on schedule for 2025 opening | The Press

The substantial brick building that draws the eyes of passers-by to the site of the rapidly developing Hawthorndale Care Village in Invercargill hides a great deal more than it reveals. You couldn’t tell from the street, but the other side of that building — which will itself contain a little mall — is a bespoke village of 13 care houses offering a total of 86 beds for people with various stages of dementia or elderly care needs. They will be integrated into a secure but companionable village society, to provide a normal, comforting life reminiscent of the villagers’ formative years. The $38 million project is well on track for its scheduled grand opening in May, with an initial intake of 72 residents scheduled to make the transition from Calvary Hospital. The construction side of the project has about four months left to run with five of the care homes fully completed.

An accompanying cluster of villas is already finished and the main care centre, which houses hairdressers, a coffee shop, theatre, chapel library and gym is ready for the finishing features. There is still work to be done on an accompanying playground where visiting youngsters will be able to disport themselves. All up it amounts to 4500 square metres of new building, which is why Maxis Projects construction manager Nick Hamlin is readying for the arrival of about 10,000 outdoor plants that form one part of the still major task of providing finishing touches of an appropriate scale.

At times, as many as 250 subcontractors have been working on the site. The footpaths between the houses have been designed so someone with dementia but self-mobile could still negotiate them safely. There’s a lot of colour-coding and other visual clues going on to help residents reorient themselves no matter what path they wander down. Calvary Hospital manager Margaret Brown, who was the initial champion for adapting the Dutch Hogeweyk dementia village model for Southland, said Hawthorndale was shaping up even better than she had envisaged. The care houses would each contain six or seven residents and the staff would try to connect the best-matched individuals based on how they’d lived their formative years. For instance those who had developed a liking for classical music would collectively be able to enjoy it — and music, well-chosen, was a particularly calming influence. Domestic memories would be carefully triggered. Each house had a kitchen where meals were prepared and, again, the smells of familiar food — say, a roast — being prepared would be part of the daily experience, rather than having prepared meals show up out of the blue.

In bedrooms there were sensors to detect when someone had left their bed or gone into the corridor, so the nurses would know they were up. For locational purposes patients could be geotagged with bracelets or tags in their clothes, and the village would be geofenced. These security systems were designed to be as unobtrusive as possible to retain a homely feel “without a lot of bells and buzzers’’, Hamlin said. Brown was particularly pleased that although some houses would be premium quality, the majority would be good quality, but standard, so the not-for-profit trust could make them more affordable. In the provision of elderly care facilities “that’s getting more and more unusual’’, she said. Southland Times

In the main care centre building, work was continuing on the residents’ library, and chapel — which would include the leadlight glass windows from Calvary Hospital, dairy with an old-fashioned canopy outside, and a theatre showing generally older movies, but also including a stage. The gymnasium would have equipment ranging from stationary bikes and — yep — a punching bag, to more specialist machines adapted for wheelchair users. “We do put a lot of effort into physio,’’ Brown said. “We want to keep everyone walking as long as we can.’’ Residents able to exercise choice over their daily lives were found to be more active and need less medication than those in a traditional care home. Hawthorndale would also seek to be much more connected to the outside community, down to the coffee shop being designed as a place not just for residents and their visitors, but passers by wanting to duck in to grab a morning coffee, or to catch up with friends.

Project manager Helen Robinson said, “It’s always been our big drive to bring the community in, so this is not just a place people come purely because of their need for care. “We’ve built a playground so kids could come to see granny, or great granny, but also know it’s somewhere for them to hang out and have a good time. We absolutely want it to be somewhere people want to spend time.” Ultimately, Brown said, the ambition was not for the Hawthorndale model to be strikingly special, but to show that the village approach did work and, in turn, encourage others providers to adopt it.

Steel and Hawthorndale Care Village Announce Charity Partnership

Steel and Hawthorndale Care Village Announce Charity Partnership

Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel partners with Hawthorndale Care Village for community wellbeing.

• The village, inspired by De Hogeweyk, will open in Invercargill in June 2025.

• Partnership aims to raise awareness and support for dementia care initiatives.

The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel has teamed up with the Hawthorndale Care Village, an innovative dementia care facility, to promote community wellbeing. Set to open in Invercargill in June 2025, the village draws inspiration from the world-renowned Dutch dementia village De Hogeweyk. This unique model prioritises a social approach, allowing residents to live as normal a life as possible and make daily choices.

Hawthorndale Care Village Charitable Trust board chair Frank O’Boyle expressed his excitement about the collaboration. “We are deeply grateful for the invaluable partnership between the Southern Steel and Hawthorndale Care Village,” he said. “Partnering with such a prominent Southland brand enables us to raise awareness of the village and share initiatives, particularly those focused on dementia awareness and the new care model. Steel’s commitment to the local community ensures that this partnership will significantly benefit the village. We thank them for their dedication, generosity, and belief in the power of collaboration to create lasting change.”

Currently, the project is progressing well, with two-thirds completed. All buildings are roofed and closed in, while landscaping and roading have begun. Additionally, the first ten independent retirement villas are available for sign-up.

Steel chief executive Sonya Fleming shared the franchise’s enthusiasm for the partnership. “The village will have such a positive impact on the lives of those living with dementia and their families and we are incredibly proud to support them as our chosen charity,” she said. “A group of our players had a site tour recently and were in awe of what is being achieved. It is going to be absolutely amazing for Southland and it’s fantastic to see we are leading the way yet again to make assets like this a reality in our city.”

The Hawthorndale Care Village was also the official game-day partner for Steel’s home game on 22 June, providing a platform to promote the project and collect donations. Fleming emphasised the broader potential of the partnership, saying, “We’re excited about the potential of this partnership and are acutely aware of the responsibility we have as high-performance athletes to use our profile and sporting platform to positively support our community in a variety of ways.”

Hawthorndale Care Village Endowment Fund Established

NEWS

AUGUST 21, 2024

As dementia’s “Silent Epidemic” sees cases explode worldwide, a new generation of aged care facilities aims to blur the lines between home and hospital care. More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia but that number will almost double every 20 years.

Hawthorndale Care Village is scheduled to open mid-2025 and draws inspiration from the innovative Dutch care village, The Hogeweyk, aiming to redefine aged care by blending home comforts with aged care support. Unlike traditional aged care facilities, Hawthorndale integrates dementia residents within 13 care houses alongside rest home and hospital-level residents, fostering a community where every resident thrives. Each home accommodates six to seven residents, offering 24/7 professional support in shared living spaces.

At Hawthorndale, familiarity is key to promoting health and wellbeing. The village town centre, featuring a theatre, hairdresser, library, gym, café, dairy, chapel, and workshop, ensures residents experience a fulfilling daily life. Advanced wristbands and security sensors provide round-the-clock monitoring, ensuring safety while preserving residents' independence.

The realisation of this vision owes much to the Hannan family's generosity. Jim Hannan initiated the development of the Village by providing initial feasibility funding, contributed to the capital phase, and is kickstarting this fund to support ongoing operations. His dedication stems from the compassionate care his late wife Helen Hannan received at Calvary Hospital, where the inspiration for this innovative approach to dementia care was born. Jim Hannan's steadfast support underscores their mission to establish an enduring legacy in dementia care.

Join us in pioneering positive aged care for Southlanders – Hawthorndale Care Village, where every day is a step towards a more fulfilling life for our residents. You can make an immediate one off or regular monthly donation by bank transfer. All donations are eligible for a 33% tax credit. Or you can leave a bequest in your will.

Mike & About: Hawthorndale Care Village: A New Era in Community-Based Care

Mike & About Hawthorndale Care Village update.

Mike & About: Hawthorndale Care Village: A New Era in Community-Based Care

The Hawthorndale Care Village has emerged as a beacon of innovation in community-based care, showcasing considerable progress since its inception eight months ago. This ambitious project, driven by a collaboration of local companies, exemplifies a novel approach to elderly and specialised care, blending modern amenities with a homely atmosphere.

Situated in a tranquil setting, the Hawthorndale Care Village is designed to promote a sense of belonging and normalcy among its residents. The facility boasts a variety of features, including a café, chapel, hairdressing salon, and theater, aimed at encouraging social interaction and community life. The chapel, in particular, preserves a link to the past by incorporating stained glass windows from the original Calvary Chapel, enriching the village with a sense of history and continuity.

The construction of the village is a concerted effort among several local entities, highlighting the community’s commitment to the project. Henderson Construction is responsible for the Care Center, while Amalgamated Builders focuses on the care houses, and Bennett Homes oversees the construction of independent villas. This collaborative effort ensures a diverse expertise pool, working together to achieve a timely and efficient realization of the project.

The Hawthorndale Care Village introduces a shared living concept that redefines traditional care models. Aimed at reintroducing everyday normalcy and independence, the care houses are designed to feel less institutional and more like a home. Residents enjoy private bedrooms with ensuites, shared kitchens for communal meal preparation, and living rooms for relaxation and social activities. A caregiver is always available to provide support, maintaining a balance between self-sufficiency and assistance.

This project has been a dream in the making for nearly a decade, inspired by Margaret Brown, the manager of Calvary, who envisioned a care facility that emphasizes normalcy and community integration for its residents. The project’s fruition was made possible through generous donations, including a pivotal anonymous donor, bringing the project’s budget from $35 million to $37 million.

Scheduled to open its doors in early 2025, the Hawthorndale Care Village is not just a care facility; it’s a testament to community spirit and innovation in care. The village is poised to become a vibrant community hub where residents can partake in gardening, cooking, and other daily activities, supported by a network of staff and volunteers. This forward-thinking model aims to redefine elder and specialised care, demonstrating that a fulfilling life is possible, irrespective of one’s age or health challenges.

Shop2Give launched and the Village delighted to be one of the chosen charities

The long-awaited SHOP2GIVE online marketplace has officially launched. 

A joint venture between SBS Bank and Raizor,  the team behind SHOP2GIVE, creating a nuanced approach to the ‘spending-giving’ concept enabling a consistent income stream for charities through a multi-vendor digital marketplace.   

A portion of each sale is transferred to a customer’s Impact Wallet.  These funds can be donated by the customer to any of the nominated charities at any time.  

SHOP2GIVE will let customers shop for everyday goods and services online on a single multi-vendor platform. These include beauty products, utilities, lifestyle activities, professional services, gifts, food, beverages, household items, toys, baby wares, educational games, furniture and furnishings to name a few.  And with a portion of the sale proceeds returning to the customer’s Impact Wallet, they can shop for everyday goods while also giving back to the community.

Mark McLean, CEO of SBS Bank, says:

“SBS Bank are really excited to be involved with the Shop2Give digital marketplace.  It’s a great way to give back to the community by supporting local causes through a customer’s everyday shopping and aligns strongly with our position as the bank with heart.  This will help to deliver real impact through a seamless experience.” 

The first five charities that will benefit from the programme are Ronald McDonald House South Island, Loss and Grief Centre, The Hawthorndale Care Village, Southland Charity Hospital and Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.  Over time fundraising opportunities will be opened up to many other charities and causes.

Paddy O’Brien, Project Team Leader of Hawthorndale Care Village says:

 “We are super excited to be one of the inaugural recipient charities on the Shop2Give online Marketplace launching soon.  It’s a revolutionary concept for a marketplace with a ‘spending-giving’ mindset.  As Shop2Give grows and customers flock, a new and unique revenue stream is created to secure Hawthorndales future!  Really innovative and exciting for Southland to pioneer the marketplace.”

Impact made easy with SHOP2GIVE.

Construction of the Hawthorndale set to begin in October

Construction of The Hawthorndale Care Village set to begin

Construction of The Hawthorndale Care Village project in Invercargill is set to begin in October 2022.

Hawthorndale Care Village Charitable Trust Working Group Member Paddy O’Brien said detailed design work was being completed and site work would get underway in early October on the $35 million project.

“We’re delighted to be able to announce that construction is set to begin — this marks another massive milestone for the project, which will be an evolutionary step forward for aged care in New Zealand.

O’Brien said civil work on the Tay St site will take about six months to complete.

The village, expected to open in early 2025, is an aged care facility inspired by the world-leading Dutch dementia village, De Hogeweyk. It will follow a social rather than a traditional institutional model of care, allowing residents to live as normal a life as possible, exercising choice over their daily lives.

Construction project manager Nick Hamlin, of Maxis Projects, said they would be holding a public meeting to invite local builders and supporting tradespeople to hear more about the project and to register their interest.

“The contracts will be split into civil, residential, and commercial construction, and this is an exciting opportunity for multiple local contractors,” he said.

The Hawthorndale project is expected to generate 300 jobs during its construction phase and once open create 11 new jobs and retain 87 jobs from the Calvary Hospital transition.

Calvary Hospital manager Margaret Brown said she was thrilled that all the hard work was paying off.

“The village will be an asset to our community. It is an innovative approach to aged care and will have far greater outcomes for older people, especially people with dementia,” she said.

 A blessing of the Tay St site was performed today (Wednesday, Aug 31).

Village aged care development on track to achieve funding target

The Hawthorndale Care Village has just $4 million left to raise with $29m funding confirmed for the $33m development, trustee and project chair Sarah Hannan advised this week.

“We are thrilled at the fundraising progress made early on, and then was paused during the pandemic. We are now keen to re-engage with the wider community to raise awareness of the project, the need for the community asset, and gain the momentum we need to attract the final $4m to make our vision a reality.” Hannan says.

The project was formally launched in October 2019, with what was an ambitious target, but one which was now close to enabling the project to become a reality, she says.

The Hawthorndale Care Village project is an aged care facility inspired by the world leading Dutch dementia village, De Hogeweyk. The design of the village and the delivery of care removes the institutional/hospital feel and replaces it with residents living in small groups in houses where the rhythm of everyday living is tailored to each individual resident. The former site of the Hawthorndale School on Tay Street, Invercargill has been secured for the village project.

Working group member Paddy O’Brien says The Hawthorndale design team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes during the past six months finalising the concept design, and working hard to bring the overall cost of the build down, while maintaining the vision of the village.

“Together as a community, we must set the bar higher. By donating now, you can be part of the legacy to give elderly people in need of care, and those living with dementia, freedom, a sense of purpose and better health and wellbeing outcomes,” he says.

Hannan says 10 years ago, her mum went from being a fit, healthy and vibrant 70-year-old to increasingly disoriented and forgetful, before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“It was heartbreaking to watch her slip away during the past decade, passing away late last year. Although the village will be too late for mum, our family has made a major donation, and I am involved to help make it a reality for those like her living with dementia.”

To find out more or to donate online head to www.thehawthorndale.co.nz

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Hannan

Trustee & Working Group Chair

The Hawthorndale Care Village Charitable Trust

(021) 244-4435

The Hawthorndale Care Village vision

The vision is to create an aged residential care facility based on a village care model. The village will be a community where the elderly in need of care, including those living with dementia, won’t just simply exist, they will thrive. They will live as normal a life as possible, as close to the way they enjoyed prior to their need for care. The design of the village and the delivery of care removes the institutional/hospital feel and replaces it with small groups living in houses where the rhythm of everyday living is tailored to each individual resident. The village will enable residents to be engaged in everyday activities inside and outside, in the safety and security of the Village.

The Hawthorndale Care Village plans unveiled

The first images of the proposed Hawthorndale Care Village aged care development have been unveiled. The Hawthorndale Care Village Charitable Trust has presented the concept design of the ground-breaking project on the former Hawthorndale Primary School site on Tay Street, Invercargill.

“This is a project that has been a long time in the feasibility and planning phase and we are excited to finally be in a position where we’re able to articulate our vision with the community,” says Paddy O’Brien, the trust’s working group team member.

Foley Group Architect Rob Campbell said his team was acutely aware of the design guiding principles to create an environment that deinstitutionalises, transforms, and normalises living and care for residents.

“The design enables what the innovative Dutch De Hogeweyk aged care model is seeking to achieve, that being a village environment nestled into its surroundings, delivering care homes that connect and offer a calm sense of engagement within the Village,” Campbell said.

The trust has lodged a resource consent application with Invercargill City Council and will be requesting it be publicly notified.

A community drop-in session near the development site prior to lodgement of the resource consent application was planned, however this has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are disappointed that we are unable to go ahead with the community drop-in session prior to our consent lodgement but have been consulting directly with the local neighbors prior to lodging the resource consent application,” says Mr O’Brien.

The project is expected to generate 300 jobs during its construction phase and once open create 11 new jobs and retain 87 jobs from the Calvary Hospital transition.

“At a time when Invercargill needs it most, this project can play a pivotal role in stimulating the city’s economy over the next two years. The way the development has been structured lends itself to use all local trades and construction services.”

A genuine village environment with landscaped gardens and streets is proposed along with a range of residential care accommodation including 13 aged residential care homes, 19 independent living units and 22 residential apartments.

Features of the Village include:

•      Café

•      Dairy

•      Hairdresser

•      Wellness Centre

•      Theatre

•      Hall

•      Chapel

•      Playground

•      Men’s shed

•      Vegetable garden

A significant and enduring partnership will help redefine aged care in the South

The Hawthorndale Care Village has signed an agreement with The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) to build one of the 13 care homes in the proposed new village.

This is a significant financial contribution toward the construction of The Hawthorndale Care Village. SIT trades faculty staff and students will be responsible for the build and provide a sizeable proportion of the material costs for the home.

“Southland has a reputation of pulling together to get things done. This is a great example of that philosophy, and we are extremely fortunate to have an organisation such as SIT that is so connected to our community. We are humbled by their generous offer of assistance." said project team member Paddy O’Brien.

The partnership is one of mutual benefit, providing an invaluable learning experience for students on a commercial construction site with the guidance and support of the main contractor. SIT has four intakes of construction students throughout the year and it is envisaged the house will be built by at least two of the intake groups. In late 2019 SIT Council approved the agreement in principle and signed off the agreement in March 2020.

“SIT explored innovative ways to provide practical support for this visionary community project. The trades students will benefit from the real life, hands-on experience in the build phase, and the ongoing operation of the Village will continue to provide practical learning opportunities for many SIT students from nursing through to hospitality, says SIT Chief Executive Penny Simmonds.

The project is estimated to cost in total $31.5 million, with the former site of the Hawthorndale School on Tay Street, Invercargill secured for construction of the village. Concept design work is nearing completion and this will provide greater construction cost certainty. A significant amount of donations and grants have already been received since the fundraising campaign launched in October 2019, but a current shortfall of $11 million is still needed to see the project through to completion.

The Hawthorndale Care Village design plans well underway

The Hawthorndale Care Village project team has confirmed the design team that will lead the design of the aged care facility in Invercargill and initial concept plans are already underway.

The multidisciplinary design team includes construction project manager Nick Hamlin from Maxis Projects, architect Rob Campbell from Foley Group, Geosolve, WSP, Cosgroves, and Lewis Bradford Consulting Engineers.

“After a thorough selection process, it was fantastic to the design team appointed prior to Christmas and concept plans are well underway. We hope to unveil these plans to the public in early May” says Paddy O’Brien, Hawthorndale Project Team Member.

Local consultation with nearby residents will be undertaken in the initial community engagement and consultation phase. Once this phase has been completed the local resource consent will be lodged in May.

Maxis Projects Managing Director, Nick Hamlin was first involved with an aged care development back in 1998 as a Construction Foreman before going on to delivering in excess of $150 million in aged care facilities across the South Island in various management roles. When the opportunity arose to be a part of a brand-new development that was looking to lead the way in dementia and aged care facilities and operations, he jumped at the opportunity to lead the project.

“Having seen family members live with dementia meant this project is personal as well and I can see the ultimate value in this world leading model, Hamlin says.

“Maxis Projects can’t wait to see the difference this facility will make on completion for the community and future village residents, staff and families”.

Foley Group Architecture, the Christchurch based architectural company selected to design the project, are leaders in aged care design developments. Rob Campbell has been a part of many of these projects throughout New Zealand and knows how exciting aged care design projects such as The Hawthorndale can be.

“Working in the aged care sector is incredibly rewarding, as the design helps create the environment that allows residents to remain active, preserve their sense of autonomy, independence and belonging, and create beautiful spaces to be in. Projects are crafted through team and client expertise, to care and respect our seniors. The team is making decisions on behalf of these future residents, and the enormity of this responsibility is not lost on us. We do our very best to give our very best into each project.” Rob Campbell says.

“We at Foley Group Architecture are extremely excited to be involved in the new Hawthorndale Village, a village that is destined to be world class and a leading care Village in Invercargill that will replicate everyday life within a safe, secure and stimulating environment”.

Campbell will head to De Hogeweyk, the world leading dementia and aged care facility in the Netherlands this month, to look at the highly successful Dutch model.

The project is expected to cost in total $31.5 million, with the former site of the Hawthorndale School on Tay Street, Invercargill secured for the village project. A significant amount of donations and grants have already been received since the fundraising campaign launched in October, but a current shortfall of $11 million is still needed to see the project through to completion.

Fundraising campaign launched for new aged and dementia care model

A fundraising campaign was launched last night for a new model of community-based aged and dementia care that could redefine how we care for the elderly in New Zealand.

The Southland and Otago not-for-profit The Hawthorndale Care Village project is an aged care facility to be based on the Dutch De Hogeweyk model. This fully replicates everyday life in a suburban neighbourhood within a safe, secure setting.

Paddy O’Brien, Project team member, former international rugby referee, says the project challenges current aged care models.

“Our ageing population is a ticking timebomb for New Zealand. Currently, once people move into a rest home, they leave the everyday life they’re used to and enter an unfamiliar institutional world.

“This village model allows all residents to preserve quality of life regardless of their care needs.”

Unlike the Dutch model, which is designed solely for dementia care, the Hawthorndale Care Village will provide for residential aged care including dementia care but fully integrated as part of the wider village.

“It enables people to enjoy a more normal scale of life, living in a home within a fully functional village setting. There they can continue to enjoy a more normal scale of life, with the freedom to do what they feel like - within reason – and retain a sense of purpose and dignity.”

The project is community funded and includes a capital injection from Invercargill’s Calvary Hospital Southland which had the initial vision for the model and whose residents are able to transition to the new village once it is completed.

Funds have also come from a former Board member, Community Trust South, ILT Foundation and the Southland and Otago community has rallied with significant support from the O’Donnell Family.

The project is now seeking to fundraise the shortfall of just under $14 million to fund the $31.5 million development on the site of the former Hawthorndale School on Tay Street, Invercargill.

The development will initially include 12 homes each with seven bedrooms, a shared living and kitchen area where meals are cooked.

The world-leading facility will replicate a suburban neighbourhood complete with a village square that is accessible to all residents, food market, hall, café, hairdresser, gardens and vegetable garden, tool shed, recreational area, prayer room and playground for children of visiting families.

Residents' interests and likes will be assessed with the aim of placing like-minded individuals together. The configuration also includes rest home, dementia and hospital-level care along with 10 units for independent retirement living.

The project is progressing to concept design stage and plans are expected to be completed by March 2020.

Robust feasibility studies have been carried out to ensure the village will be self-sustaining and accessible to the wider community.

“We want to help change how we care for older New Zealanders. There is a lot of fear and mis-understanding of ageing and in particular dementia even though it’s widespread and the number of people living with it expected to triple in the next 30 years

. “We want to break down that stigma, improve our understanding and provide an evidence-based approach.

“Together as a community, we must set the bar higher. We have an opportunity to redefine aged care in New Zealand, starting here in the South.

“By donating now, people can be part of the legacy to give those living with dementia freedom, a sense of purpose and better health and wellbeing outcomes.”