14 February 2013

Aged care sector needs to refocus on happiness

New Zealand faces increasing challenges in addressing health, housing and care needs of one million adults aged above 60 between now and 2020.

International aged living specialist Professor Dr Hans Becker is in New Zealand to attend this country’s first Ageing Asia Workshop which is being held in Palmerston North.

Professor Dr Hans Becker is an ageing-in-place expert. He will share his views on the ageing-in-place needs of the growing elderly population, and look at ways to re-invent seniors care in New Zealand.

In Europe and Asia Hans Becker is to the ageing sector what Al Gore is to Climate Change. He is working towards a monumental shift in people, businesses and government’s attitudes towards senior’s living.

“It is important to enable changing mind-sets and attitudes towards delivery of seniors housing and care, and enable better quality of care for New Zealand’s seniors. The way to do that is to adopt an open mind and enjoy the results of the yes-culture approach. While we cannot cure all their illnesses we can and have a duty to give them happiness.”

Dr Becker has successfully used his model and philosophy of human happiness to revolutionise the social and commercial perception of nursing homes. His non-profit foundation, Humantias, manages 1,700 apartments, delivering an annual turnover of over 100 million Euros.
• Succeeding in business of senior care and age-friendly housing
• Building innovative housing models that enable ageing in place and options for delivery of care.
• Learn the art of human happiness for seniors
• Changing the mindsets and attitudes towards delivery of seniors housing and care
• Create happier living environments for seniors that improve health, longevity and independence
• Relate concepts with real life case-studies from Humanitas: developing, managing and operating sustainable seniors housing.
Dr Becker is in Palmerston North for the Ageing Asia Workshop on 14 February, on 15 February he will be visiting and learning about the Best Care Whakapai Hauora model and the Abbeyfield model at Roslyn House.

ENDS

Editor’s notes:
Ageing Asia Leadership Workshops have been held in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and now New Zealand. The Workshop’s cover the philosophy of care for seniors, the art of human happiness and the key success factors towards developing, managing and operating a seniors’ care enterprise. Led by Dr Hans Becker, chairman of Humanitas Foundation, this inspirational industry programme and customised curriculum provides participants with an opportunity to gain theoretical and practical knowledge about why Humanitas’ highly successful seniors housing projects continue to deliver high occupancy, demand for new units, resident happiness, staff retention, volunteers, donors and a healthy balance sheet.

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