Aged care turnover isn’t a pay problem: it’s a visibility crisis
Marion Piper, Contributor
New polling from Mirus Australia reveals aged care turnover is driven by workload, burnout, and culture – over pay. Leaders face a visibility crisis, leaving preventable resignations hidden in roster patterns and unmeasured morale.
Latest News
What does it actually cost to feed an aged care resident?
Lindsey O’Grady spotlights what the latest AN-ACC price announcement means for aged care kitchens. It reveals a growing gap between food cost and the true cost of feeding residents well.
Bupa’s $2 billion exit strategy: why buying aged care is cheaper than building it
Four years after shelving its divestment plans, Bupa APAC is re-testing the market to sell its $2 billion ANZ aged care portfolio. The move highlights a stark sector reality: buying existing beds is now far cheaper than building them.
Marion Piper, Contributor
National alignment: Australia’s voluntary assisted dying (VAD) landscape
With Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) now legislated across every Australian state and territory, aged care leaders face a critical operational shift. Here’s how the legal framework evolved, what you need to plan for, and how to balance compliance with compassion in care.
Marion Piper, Contributor
How retirement communities can prepare for changing resident expectations
Changing resident expectations, ageing in place and increasingly complex support needs are reshaping retirement living. Dr Roger Pallant of the NSW Retirement Village Residents Association says leaders need to plan for that change and bring residents into the conversation.
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer
Australia has its first national nursing workforce strategy. Now health leaders must deliver it.
Australia has its first National Nursing Workforce Strategy, but a strategy alone won’t fix a 79,000-nurse deficit. Arun Thomas explores how the true test for health leaders lies in converting a 10-year policy blueprint into real, sustainable capacity on the ground.
Arun Thomas, Chairperson of ACNFFC
Contributors
Yvette Willison - Content Writer
"Yvette is an avid storyteller with a working knowledge base in the Allied Health, Disability and Aged Care sectors."
- Aged Care Hospitality Specialist
"Lindsey O’Grady is a chef and aged care hospitality specialist with 40 years’ experience."
Hayley Campbell - Content Writer
"Hayley Campbell is a mental health and healthcare copywriter who believes the best stories start with people."
Michael Foenander - Consultant
"Michael Foenander (GAICD) is an executive leader, board member, and former chef who writes on gerontology, foodservice, and aged care operations."
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News
The $5.6 million payroll wake-up call
Marion Piper, Contributor The Fair Work Ombudsman’s $5.6 million audit recovery exposes a critical governance vulnerability for aged care leaders: basic payroll, rostering, and Award classification errors compound into massive compliance liabilities across large workforces.
What lies ahead for CHSP beyond the 2029 extension
Marion Piper, Contributor Australia’s Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) is extended until June 2029, avoiding a planned merger with Support at Home. While the certainty is welcome news, providers now face the crucial challenge of shaping the program’s long-term future.
Interim funding rule Removes 53,000 clients from official aged care waitlist
Jakob Neeland, Contributor 53,718 people vanished from Australia’s aged care waitlist after a methodology change, removed once interim 60% payments start, not full funding. Providers report clients waiting up to five months, with the missing 40% never backdated.
Building the bridge to reshape First Nations aged care
Yvette Willison, Content Writer Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner Jodi Cassar brings more than two decades of public service experience to one of aged care’s newest roles, sharing why listening, cultural safety and community partnerships are essential to creating meaningful, lasting reform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Who will take care of older Australians if migration slows?
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer Australia’s aged care workforce already relies heavily on migrant workers, while demand for workers continues to grow. With migration settings under review, providers need to understand what changes to access for overseas workers could mean for staffing.
Aged care’s data problem is starting to find its fix
Marion Piper, Contributor Three hours of a shift gone to paperwork — before a single resident is checked on. As documentation eats into aged care nursing time, new tools like Kinnexus and BESTMED IQ are trying to hand some of that time back to care.
New acting head, Kate Pope, confirmed for aged care’s independent oversight body
Marion Piper, Contributor Kate Pope PSM has taken over as acting Inspector-General of Aged Care, bringing 35 years of public sector experience to the role while government recruits a permanent appointee.
Topic
Why Australia’s aged care legislation struggles with community-led solutions
After 15 years of planning, fundraising and refining a financially viable model, one rural Victorian community is still unable to build an aged care facility. Wedderburn’s experience raises broader questions about whether Australia’s regulatory framework can accommodate community-led solutions.
Support at Home Senate inquiry: what Uniting wants aged care providers to know
What happens when someone is assessed as needing more care, but the funding isn’t there to provide it? Uniting NSW.ACT says the current gap is putting pressure on older people, providers and the wider aged care system.
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