Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Lindsey OGrady, Aged Care Hospitality Specialist


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.

Latest News

When home is still the answer: why live-in care deserves a place in aged care conversations

Residential care isn’t the only option when family support reaches its limit. Discover how live-in care offers a viable, continuous home-based alternative for older Australians – and why aged care leaders should raise this option with families before crisis strikes.

• leadership

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

• nursing

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

• aged care

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.

Yvette Willison, Content Writer

• aged care

The $5.6 million payroll wake-up call

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.

Marion Piper, Contributor

Contributors

Lindsey OGrady

Lindsey OGrady

- Aged Care Hospitality Specialist

"Lindsey O’Grady is a chef and aged care hospitality specialist with 40 years’ experience."

Hayley Campbell

Hayley Campbell

Hayley Campbell - Content Writer

"Hayley Campbell is a mental health and healthcare copywriter who believes the best stories start with people."

Michael Foenander

Michael Foenander

Michael Foenander - Consultant

"Michael Foenander (GAICD) is an executive leader, board member, and former chef who writes on gerontology, foodservice, and aged care operations."

Yvette Willison

Yvette Willison

Yvette Willison - Content Writer

"Yvette is an avid storyteller with a working knowledge base in the Allied Health, Disability and Aged Care sectors."

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Every Wednesday, we deliver stories that inspire better leadership, spark ideas & keep you ahead in aged care.

Events

Nov

2026

2026 Ageing Australia National Conference

NOV 24, 2026 | 9 am - 5 pm

The International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney

Mar

2027

ATSA Independent Living Expo Hobart

MAR 04, 2027 | 8 am - 4 pm

Princes Wharf No. 1, Hobart

May

2027

ATSA Independent Living Expo Perth

MAY 19, 2027 | 8 am - 3 pm

Claremont Showground

News

• aged care sector

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.

• support at home

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.

• industry news

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.

• aged care workforce

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 sector

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.

• inspector-general

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.

Aged care reforms haven’t fixed staffing, survey finds

• Aged Care Act

Marion Piper, Contributor A union survey of 3,550 frontline workers finds understaffing, rising violence and unexplained funding gaps persisting under the Aged Care Act reforms – raising fresh governance questions about how providers are spending taxpayer funding.

Topic

Support at Home Senate inquiry: what Uniting wants aged care providers to know

• leadership

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.

Avian Flu has arrived: Why communication is aged care’s strongest defence

• health

Avian influenza may pose a low immediate risk to aged care, but it offers a timely reminder that outbreak preparedness extends beyond infection control. The lasting lesson from COVID is that compassionate, confident communication is as critical to resident wellbeing as any clinical response.

Editions

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May 2026

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October 2025

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March 2025

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February 2025

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