A consortium of senior living operator, real estate developer, healthcare providers and consultants, led by the Hong Kong Macau Conference Seventh-day Adventist Church, has taken on the challenge to influence the perception of “Senior Living” from a late-in-life, last-ditch option for those who cannot care for themselves, to vibrant, human-centric residential communities that allow residents to lead progressive and engaging lives. This marked the birth of Ventria Residence. 

Mrs Maria Lee, Executive Director of Roseville Senior Living Management Limited, the operator of Ventria Residence, is the mastermind behind the project. Mrs Lee has over 40 years of experience spanning both the hospitality and healthcare sectors. She has personally visited several dozens of senior living communities around the world and through her travels, she has gained an in-depth understanding of what today’s seniors want out of their retirement life – the ability to remain socially engaged while living an independent, dignified life free from antiquated stereotypes of “being old”. She hopes to distil her learnings into Ventria Residence. 

“Hong Kong lacks comprehensive social security compared to places like the US, Canada or Australia, and it's understandable our government would allocate resources to the neediest older citizens. However, there is a long wait list for most public and government-subvented beds,” she commented

The supply of nursing beds is in such shortage that most baby boomers are left with no choice other than to age at home under the supervision of domestic helpers, or for families that are more affluent, private nurses. But will this arrangement suffice as the baby boomers become frail, or in more extreme incidences such as an unforeseeable stroke or a fall, requiring more complex nursing care? 

A continuing care retirement community (CCRC), sometimes known as a life plan community, is a type of retirement community where a continuum of senior care needs can all be met within the community. This model is especially popular in the U.S. but less so in dense metropolitan cities like Hong Kong due to high real estate prices. 

“With Ventria Residence, we are trying to pioneer the CCRC concept within a single high-rise building, as opposed to in the US where a multitude of services, including nursing care, meals and social programmes, are delivered across multiple campuses. The benefits of the single-building model are multi-pronged. From an operator’s perspective, we are able to drive cost optimisation through streamlining our workflow. From a user’s perspective, residents can enjoy first-class lifestyle and care services without ever having to step foot outside the building, even if their care needs change. They can truly age-in-place,” she added. 

In addition to services you would normally enjoy at a fully-furnished serviced apartment, Ventria Residence offers independent living, assisted living and memory care programs. Prior to moving in, residents go through a mandatory health assessment in which their physical and cognitive aptitude will be assessed by a team of multidisciplinary health professionals. 

Specifically, a dedicated team of physicians, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and dieticians work together to develop a care plan, comprised of appropriate level of care services, prescription diets, physical and cognitive training programs, all tailored not just to each resident’s unique physical needs, but also to their emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

“We also cater to a wide range of complex nursing care needs, such as using advanced rehab technologies for stroke and fracture recovery, as well as brain fitness programs for residents showing signs of Dementia, all of which are backed by a few decades of successful clinical cases worked on personally by our team. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to Healthcare. No matter what your health condition, we offer an all-inclusive life care solution which allows you to maximize your retirement potential,” said Mrs Lee. 

The team behind Ventria Residence has also put immense thoughts into the infrastructure set up and interior design of the building. “Nothing we do here is pulled out of thin air. Our use of technology, corridor designs, light fixtures, room configurations, even down to a single piece of furniture, are all functional and centred around the resident in mind,” Mrs Lee commented.

From the Sky Garden, private clubhouse, heated indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, to full-service spa and salon and dining facilities serving Chinese and Western cuisines, residents are blessed with a suite of first-class amenities that enable them to enjoy a hassle-free life without compromising on their distinguished lifestyle, hallmark of a true luxurious retirement experience. 

Life-long learning is a core service pillar of Ventria Residence, where a wide selection activity clubs are offered, including Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, Culinary Arts, Horticulture, Golfing and much more. “We want our residents to stay engaged and truly feel that they belong to this community,” Mrs Lee added. 

Service delivery at Ventria Residence is augmented by an array of advanced technology applications. For example, a team of technology robots assist medical rounds in measuring residents’ vital signs, which are then uploaded to a cloud-computing system accessible real-time at corresponding nurse stations. These robots also act as in-home companions whom residents can interact with. Residents with family overseas can video conference with just a touch of a button on the pre-installed tablet.

There are numerous data collection touchpoints throughout a resident’s journey at Ventria Residence; be it vital signs that are monitored by wearable devices, the resident’s walking posture captured by advanced rehab equipment, or even caloric and ingredients intake indicated by a resident’s meal preference. 

The goal of implementing a close-looped data ecosystem is not just to show operators what residents are doing. It is to predict what residents will do, and to tailor care around those predicted behaviours. “These technologies are not an add-on to care delivery, but the next iteration of human-centred care that will enhance personalization, resident experience and health outcomes, setting the gold standard of senior living for years to come,” Mrs Lee added. 

The Ventria Residence is now under construction and is set to open by the end of 2022. “For baby boomers who have worked so hard their whole life, they surely deserve a comfortable retirement. Their children can rest assured that their parents can retire and thrive in a safe and vibrant community. This peace of mind is priceless,” said Mrs Lee.

Enquiry: (852) 3616 3400 / 6702 3434