28 August 2020

Our General Manager answers questions about Morgan Glen Iris

Edward Xuereb is the General Manager Retirement Living at BASScare and will be responsible for the operation of Morgan Glen Iris when it opens its doors. Amongst other things, we asked Edward his view on why Morgan Glen Iris is unique in its approach to senior living. Here’s what he said.

Firstly, can you explain the different forms of senior living available?
Sure, there’s retirement living, which is for active, independent retirees who live in their own villa. At the other end of the spectrum is residential aged care for elderly people who require a higher level of care and can no longer live on their own without daily support. Then there are apartments with service, which offer an outstanding alternative to aged care. These are for people who want to live independently and privately, with domestic and hospitality support on hand. This is what Morgan Glen Iris is all about. We have a registered nurse on site during the daytime to ensure residents are receiving the right amount of support and an experienced workforce of carers and domestic staff to make their lives easier and more enjoyable.

What makes apartments with service at Morgan Glen Iris unique?
As apartments with service are a relatively new concept in seniors’ living, we wanted to make sure that we offered an intelligent, high quality alternative to aged care with Morgan Glen Iris. As BASScare has a proven ability as an experienced first class provider within the sector, people can be reassured that they are receiving the best support available. BASScare understands what senior Australians and their families are looking for, and that’s peace of mind and security, and they will get all that and more at Morgan Glen Iris. There is no other senior accommodation within the wider Glen Iris area that strikes a balance between independence, freedom of choice and support like our apartments with service.

How will someone know if they are more suited to apartments with service rather than aged care?
The main difference is that apartments with service are designed for people who need extra support but are otherwise independent and still make choices about their day to day lives. What this does is to allow them to spend more time doing things they want to do, such as being with family and friends. At Morgan Glen Iris, we’re here to help people maintain their independence and quality of life.

What are some of the services people can enjoy at Morgan Glen Iris?
People receive a range of services as part of their monthly fee. It includes nourishing daily cooked meals – served in our very own in-house restaurant – having the heavy laundry done and access to a registered nurse. Plus, and this is a big plus, Morgan Glen Iris offers a unique service of 30 minutes support every day, which the resident can choose how they want to use. That could be apartment cleaning, helping them with showering, washing and folding clothes or bed making, for example. There are many other services available for an additional fee and these include personalised wellbeing programs, hairdressing, podiatry, physiotherapy and more. At the end of the day, our domestic and hospitality services are about making people’s lives easier and more enjoyable, so they can really thrive and get the most out of life!

Can services at Morgan Glen Iris be personalised?
Absolutely. We think it’s really important that people have an outstanding choice of services so they can select the ones that suit their needs. It’s definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ proposition at Morgan Glen Iris. When someone first arrives here, our registered nurse has a consultation with them to work out the right level of support for them.

What kind of lifestyle can residents expect at Morgan Glen Iris?
A fantastic one! Morgan Glen Iris has been designed with community and socialisation in mind. There are some truly fabulous shared spaces, which are on par with a premium retirement village. These include a lounge area with bar, restaurant, private dining room, library, gym, hair salon, cinema and a self-service café. And when residents move in, we’ve got lots of activities planned, so there’s always something to do if they want to.

What are the apartments like?
The Morgan Glen Iris apartments with service are beautifully designed and we really took into consideration who would be living in them. They have all the creature comforts people need to live a luxuriously comfortable lifestyle. Every apartment has a living and dining area, fully fitted kitchenette – which still allows people to cook for themselves if they want to – and they come in a choice of one or two bedrooms, which makes them perfect for both singles and couples. Bathrooms are able to be modified to allow assistance aids if need be and there are no steps anywhere in the apartment to worry about! And depending on which level the apartment is on, they come with a balcony or courtyard, as well as an underground car space. They really are the ultimate in style and offer a wonderful sense of security, too. They’ll be ready to move into in autumn of 2021.

How can I find out more?
The Morgan Glen Iris display suite is temporarily closed during stage four restrictions but we’re taking online appointments, so that we can chat to you while you remain at home. Contact our Sales Manager, Pip Walker on 1300 667 444 to find out more.