Beyond HELF: What boards should learn from aged care’s latest policy reset
Yvette Willison, Content Writer
The latest HELF rule changes have prompted providers to review charging arrangements, but the bigger lesson extends well beyond one fee. Paul Sadler argues that governance during reform requires continual review, local judgement and the willingness to revisit decisions made in good faith.
Latest News
Shared purpose: The foundation of every strong partnership
Residents and patients don’t see different uniforms, just the people caring for them. Cirka’s Pat Donato and Emma Yee on why the strongest outsourced partnerships in aged care are built on trust and shared outcomes, not contracts.
The funding model isn’t your biggest financial problem
The CHSP reprieve may have delayed the next round of reform, but it hasn’t changed what makes an organisation financially resilient. Audit Partner Siobhain Simpson argues providers should stop chasing the next funding model and start understanding the true performance of every service they deliver.
Yvette Willison, Content Writer
Aged care leaders are the key to turning research into action
Handing out new manuals and hoping for compliance no longer works. New research reveals that strategic, systems-level leadership and dedicated knowledge brokers are vital to turning clinical evidence into everyday aged care practice.
Marion Piper, Contributor
Assistive technology in aged care starts with the problem, not the product
From simpler ways to make a phone call to 30-cent 3D-printed aids, aged care innovation is showing that the best technology doesn’t always start with a product. It starts by understanding what residents need to do, enjoy and participate in.
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer
Dashboards are dead
Sonja Bernhardt OAM argues that traditional dashboards are dying. Instead of forcing humans to act as analytics engines by hunting through disconnected metrics, AI shifts the focus from “showing numbers” to surfacing what genuinely deserves human attention.
Sonja Bernhardt, Contributor
Contributors
Yvette Willison - Content Writer
"Yvette is an avid storyteller with a working knowledge base in the Allied Health, Disability and Aged Care sectors."
Hayley Campbell - Content Writer
"Hayley Campbell is a mental health and healthcare copywriter who believes the best stories start with people."
- Aged Care Hospitality Specialist
"Lindsey O’Grady is a chef and aged care hospitality specialist with 40 years’ experience."
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
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.
Bupa’s $2 billion exit strategy: why buying aged care is cheaper than building it
Marion Piper, Contributor 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.
National alignment: Australia’s voluntary assisted dying (VAD) landscape
Marion Piper, Contributor 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.
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.
Topic
Beyond compliance: The leadership challenge shaping aged care’s next chapter
As aged care embeds its post-Royal Commission reforms, sector leaders are asking a new question: what comes after compliance? Experts agree strong governance is essential, but future success will depend on leadership, judgement and creating the conditions for older Australians to genuinely thrive.
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.
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