For John Flynn Retirement Village sales advisor Lina Benedetti, Ryman Healthcare’s guiding ‘good enough for mum’ ethos has never been truer.
Before Lina started her role offering outstanding support and information about the living options available at John Flynn, her mother Marianna became a resident of the care centre at Ryman’s Weary Dunlop Retirement Village in Wheelers Hill.
“Having seen the care mum is given made me feel Ryman was a company I could feel comfortable representing,” Lina says.
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“It is always about whatever suits, and whatever is best for the resident, and whatever they are most comfortable with.”
Lina sees the needs of prospective residents not only through the eyes of a sales advisor, but through those of a family member.
“Ryman does a lot of things that other companies don’t do, including the continuum of care, so when you explain to people what will happen if they need more support and a higher level of care, they sometimes have a bit of skepticism.
“But I can vouch for it, mum's at Weary and it really is that good.”
With COVID-19 changing the way sales advisors support residents under contract, Lina started a weekly newsletter to ensure residents about to move into the stunning village can see the latest developments without needing to leave home.
The newsletters are helping to foster a sense of community at the village before it has opened, and plans are also underway to create a ‘John Flynn cookbook’ comprising residents’ favourite recipes.
“In a lot of ways we have been able to form stronger relationships with residents than maybe what we would have had it not been for COVID-19, because we have taken on more of a caring role, continuing regular phone contact and seeing if there is anything we can do to support people during this challenging time,” she says.
Lina and her fellow John Flynn sales advisor Michelle Shaw also have plans to hold Zoom morning and afternoon teas to introduce residents to one another before John Flynn opens.
Supporting people to start an exciting new chapter in their lives is a privilege, Lina says.
“I enjoy knowing they are moving somewhere where they will be happy and content, that they will have a quality of life, rather than worrying about the gutters needing cleaning, or having to move somewhere else if their health changes.
“It is a privilege, and long after the sale the residents stay very much upper most in your mind.”
