About us

It’s got to be good enough for Mum and Dad!

In 1983, Ryman’s co-founder Kevin Hickman walked into a fire-damaged villa to investigate the cause of the blaze. The building was an aged-care facility, and Kevin didn’t like what he saw.

“There were four people to a room with shared toilets down the corridor. The people running the rest home were nice and did a good job in as much as they were expected to. But to me, it was crazy. The standards were so poor. But that’s how rest homes were in those days,” he recalled.

This unsettling experience got Kevin thinking about what the standard should be. “What would I want for Mum? I’d want a single room with an ensuite, for a start.”

Finding the perfect business

Kevin and his business partner, accountant John Ryder, had met a few years earlier. Kevin had left the police to set up his own private investigation business and needed an accountant. They had complementary skills, so it was the perfect partnership.

The pair were looking for a business opportunity and after Kevin’s experience with the fire-damaged rest home, they both saw a way to make a real difference. They wanted to change the way older people lived and how they were cared for. It was a business they could believe in and feel proud of.

Their journey began with a block flats in Christchurch, New Zealand, which they transformed into Riverside, their first rest home (low care). And so, Ryman - named by combining Ryder and Hickman - was born.

The Ryman recipe was simple yet effective: carefully select prime locations, design and build to the highest standards, and ensure that every aspect of village life and care were guided by a commitment to excellence.

A legacy of excellence

Four decades on, Ryman’s ethos hasn’t changed. Every decision and detail are still guided by the core belief that: “Everything we do must be good enough for Mum - and Dad.”

Today, Ryman Healthcare operates 49 retirement villages across New Zealand and Australia, providing exceptional care and support to over 14,000 residents.