NZ retirement village operator Summerset plans building 300 more ILU’s by 2015, and including dementia care in its suite of services

The expansion comes on the back of soaring profits. Summerset made an underlying profit of $15.2 million for the year to December 31, double the previous year.

Chief executive Norah Barlow said the move to dementia care was a natural complement to services they provide. Hospital care services are already provided at nine of its villages.

"We have all seen the figures which show that as the population over 75 increases, the incidence of dementia will also increase," she said.

Summerset said its move was in response to market demand, with retirees increasingly looking for facilities that could offer the full continuum of on-site care, from village to hospital support.

About a fifth of the NZ governments increased aged-care funding is dedicated to dementia care.