A well-attended meeting was called and a small working group stepped up to explore what a not-for-profit community owned residential aged care facility might look like.
We asked the Ministry of Health if they would support the establishment of a Community Trust to provide the services previously offered by the Rotorua Hospital. The answer was yes but we had to show we had sufficient money to get set up. The Ministry of Health suggested a figure of $300K. A
huge amount to raise when starting from scratch. Undeterred we did our homework and put a fund raising plan into action. We asked the community to support us in our endeavours.
They did not let us down and by the required timeline we had the money. I make special mention here of the RSA committee at the time and its members. I presume they thought, as an ageing group, they might be in need of the services in the future and offered their financial help and support.
Allan Mills and his family must be acknowledged too for their generous support.
When I think of it now I shudder a little. We had very little idea and real knowledge about what it takes to manage a residential aged care facility.
And once established what then? Could we sustain the business? Numerous issues were raised but one by one they were addressed.
We all cared enough to want to try. What still amazes me is the number of staff who left the security of their hospital jobs to take on the work of setting up Whare Aroha.
What if we crashed? They came to ensure that didn't happen. Without their expertise and guidance I don't believe we could have opened Whare Aroha but we did.
I like to think that even in today's regulated and rigid health environment an initiative like Whare Aroha would still get off the ground.
As a health board member I am aware of the valuable role rest homes and residential aged care facilities play.
The work can be demanding and is not for everyone but we trust that when we put our family members into care they will receive quality services in an environment conducive to their health and wellbeing.
I'm sure over the years the Trust would have done some things differently. Growth, if necessary, well planned.
The financial sustainability of the business carefully monitored and board members replaced from time to time when the skill set needs replenishing.
With the opening of The Care Village a new chapter in the Trust's short history has begun.
The Village is a world-leading dementia and aged care community on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
It has been built to replicate a small scale New Zealand town and designed to allow people to live in households, creating a sense of independence, home and community.
There is 24-hour professional support and carers close at hand. I congratulate all those who have worked hard to bring The Care Village to fruition.
But I must acknowledge the people in the small working group from years ago, that I was a part of, who became the inaugural trustees.
We believed that a not-for-profit community trust could dream big, marshal the required resources and drive the dream into existence.
Glenys Searancke, Allan Mills, Dereck Lang, Louis Kingdom and Bob Scott were members of our community with vision and an unshakeable belief.
They laid the foundations for Whare Aroha to morph into the wonder village that was opened last weekend.
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is a Rotorua district councillor, Lakes District Health Board member and chairs the North Island Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart political correctness.
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is a Rotorua district councillor, Lakes District Health Board member and chairs the North Island Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart political correctness.
