Resort-style luxury for everyday living
Meals are available at Morgan Glen Iris, but apartments are also fitted out with kitchenettes.
For most people, having chefs prepare their meals each day only happens on holidays. However, this kind of hotel and resort-style luxury can be an everyday experience for residents at Morgan Glen Iris.
“Our chefs are from premier hotels here in Melbourne, as well as Balgownie Estate in the Yarra Valley,’’ says Roy Hammond-Thomas. ‘‘They’re very, very experienced, creating high-quality meals that are perfect to enjoy in our beautiful restaurant.”
As village manager at Morgan Glen Iris, Hammond-Thomas oversees day-to-day operations on the site and nearly 20 staff ‘‘who are here to assist to make sure that [residents’] stay is a great one”.
Located in leafy Glen Iris, with the natural beauty of the Back Creek Reserve as its backdrop, Morgan Glen Iris is a new form of senior living, designed to offer people in-house domestic and hospitality support.
“We’re an alternative for residents who know that they’re not yet ready for residential aged care, but who are looking for some support and assistance to maintain their independence,’’ says Hammond-Thomas. ‘‘We facilitate and empower residents to maintain their independence for as long as possible.”
With construction now complete, this month the first residents have started moving into their brand new apartments. Developed by BASScare, a community not for-profit organisation with over six decades’ experience with seniors living, apartments are available on a long-term lease basis.
A monthly fee covers daily continental breakfast and dinner, heavy laundry and access to a registered nurse; plus, there is 30 minutes of daily support per apartment, which can be used for assistance with such things as showering and dressing, washing and folding clothes, apartment cleaning, and much more. Other premium individualised services to assist with health, wellness and daily life are also available on a user pays basis.
We have 24-7 concierge support on site so residents always have that peace of mind that there are medically qualified staff available to assist in the event of an emergency.”
While meals are part of the packages, kitchenettes with high-end cooktop, oven, grill and large appliances are included in this one-and two-bedroom apartments, which also have balconies. Basement parking, storage cages and temperature-controlled wine cellars are also standard.
The contemporary design of the apartment interiors extends to the shared spaces as well.The building, which comes with marble finishes, features a glass atrium with 180-degree views of the surrounds.
There’s a fully stocked library, hair salon, gold-class style cinema, billiards table and a gym.
The restaurant, which can seat 80, looks like those in five-star hotels and stand-alone restaurants, where the kitchen is an open design and you can watch the chefs at work.
“There’s also a bar and a beautiful floor to ceiling fireplace that really sets the area off quite nicely,” adds Hammond-Thomas. “Your every need is catered for now and well into the future, allowing you to age in place gracefully”. People considering retirement community living should seek professional, independent financial and legal advice.
Sunday Age, July 4 2021
