Trial Period

If you are not sure how you will manage the change to living at Ropata Village you are welcome to stay for a week or two (as a respite care resident). This will give you the experience of living at Ropata and enjoying all the benefits.  

Short Term Stays (Respite Care)

Ropata Village provides a full respite care programme (convalescent), that is recognised in the Hutt Valley as providing excellent care to people who need care and support following hospital discharge.

Costs

Indicative price range of apartments for sale as at 18th February 2010 was:

• Studio Apartments $95,000 - $120,000
• Apartments with separate bedrooms $135,000 - $155,000
• As Ropata is unit titled residents own their own apartment rather than the more common Licence to Occupy.  Apartments are generally purchased from the estate of a previous resident.
• The sale process is managed by the Trust's lawyer David Butler and follows normal real estate sale practice.

Village Facility Fee

In addition to the purchase price of an apartment, there is a payment to the Trust of $5,000 plus GST. This one off payment covers the use, maintenance and replacement of facilities in the common areas such as the kitchen and the laundry. This fee has proved to be a wise and prudent fee to fairly manage these costs. Any surplus is transferred to the Village reserve account.   

Weekly Service Fee

 Residents who own their apartment pay a weekly service fee currently $525 including GST (effective 1/04/2010) payable monthly in advance.  This fee includes the following services:

• Nursing supervision
• Full use of call system
• Provision of all meals, including morning and afternoon tea and supper
• Supply and cleaning of all linen
• Weekly cleaning of apartment
• Use of residents' laundry
• Hot water heating radiators in each apartment and common areas
• Lighting and power costs of common areas
• Cleaning of common areas

In addition apartment owners pay Hutt City Council rates and the Body Corporate levies on their apartment. Council rates for the 2009 / 2010 rates year range from $1,033 to $1,209 depending on the apartment size. 

Body Corporate levies are to cover the insurance of the apartment (but not personal effects - see below), and common areas, and the external maintenance of the building. For the financial year to 31 March 2011 these fees range from $1,210 to $2,351, again depending on the size of the apartment.  

Residents pay directly for electricity used for lighting, hot water, supplimentary heating, TVs etc in their own apartments - the amount depends upon usage but is about $15 a week. The Trust pays for central heating provided by the hot water radiators in each apartment and throughout the common areas. 

Each resident is responsible for their own contents insurance to cover personal effects, furnishings and furniture and the like.

Short term respite fees depend on the care and support necessary for the welfare of the convalescent person, and currently start at $140 including GST per day.