Who sends the chef to the conference?
Lindsey OGrady, Aged Care Hospitality Specialist
The 2026 Hospitality in Healthcare (HIH) National Conference in Hobart brought together some wonderful people, ideas and innovations from across hospital, healthcare and aged care hospitality. I had the privilege of presenting findings from my Australian Aged Care Kitchen Pulse Survey and joining the Choice Collective panel to discuss Standard 6, hospitality and resident choice. […]
Latest News
The continence care costs aged care leaders can’t see
Frontline staff say buying continence products on unit price is driving burnout, waste and avoidable complications. TENA’s latest research report argues the true cost of that choice sits where executives and procurement teams rarely look.
Aged care kitchens are hiring. But the job is bigger than food.
Providers are competing for chefs and cooks as food standards tighten. A recruiter says she can see the difference in homes that value their kitchen teams. A veteran chef says the sector still treats them as support.
Marion Piper, Contributor
Palliative care in residential aged care is core business. Are we measuring it?
A care team may know when a resident’s needs change. For leaders responsible for multiple teams and services, knowing where palliative care gaps are emerging is an entirely different challenge.
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer
More than benchmarking: How to use your ROSA report
The 2026 ROSA reports reveal significant variation in aged care outcomes, introducing new indicators and benchmarking tools. Professor Maria Inacio explains how independent data can help providers and boards better understand care quality, identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen governance.
Yvette Willison, Content Writer
200,000 waiting: aged care providers take fight to Canberra
More than 3,700 older Australians are stuck in hospital beds because aged care has nowhere to put them. Ageing Australia and over 50 providers took it to Canberra last week, putting the funding gap in front of every party.
Marion Piper, Contributor
Contributors
- 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."
Yvette Willison - Content Writer
"Yvette is an avid storyteller with a working knowledge base in the Allied Health, Disability and Aged Care sectors."
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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Events
Jul
2026
Nov
2026
2026 Ageing Australia National Conference
NOV 24, 2026 | 9 am - 5 pm
The International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney
Mar
2027
May
2027
News
Aged care waitlist Australia: An executive calls for clearer reporting
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer After watching a friend navigate aged care for her mother, executive Maria Zappala began questioning how Australia measures unmet care needs. She says waitlist figures, assessment decisions and the support people receive deserve closer scrutiny.
Compliance is the floor. Clinical outcomes lag behind
Marion Piper, Contributor Mirus Australia’s second ACE Index scores aged care 6.3 out of 10 and finds a profitable care business carrying loss-making accommodation. Boards face one question: what happens when care funding stops rising faster than costs?
Who cares for regional Australia when the workers stop coming?
Yvette Willison, Content Writer Australia’s migration debate has focused on housing and population growth, but aged care providers are watching another issue unfold. As regional workforce shortages deepen, the sector is questioning what changing migration settings could mean for recruiting and retaining the people who deliver care.
What Australian Unity learned from its HELF rollout
Marion Piper, Contributor Australian Unity says leaders underestimated the HELF rollout. Its takeaways: evidence the costing, start resident communication early, and give carers tools to know who is entitled to what, so care is not affected.
What it means to leave an aged care organisation well
Yvette Willison, Content Writer Board changes at Southern Cross Care Queensland offer a timely reminder that succession is about more than governance. In a sector built on purpose and stewardship, knowing when to hand leadership to others may be one of a board’s most important responsibilities.
Inputs versus outcomes: RFBI uses parody to take its funding case to the public
Jakob Neeland, Contributor Government is prescribing inputs while capping what it will pay for them. RFBI CEO Frank Price says there is a better way to achieve the outcomes reform was meant to deliver, and he is using an AI-generated Twilight Zone parody to make the case beyond the sector.
Support at Home provider under investigation over pricing
Marion Piper, Contributor A Commission review of 25 higher-risk Support at Home providers found only four fully compliant. One now faces formal investigation over pricing practices, and boards that treat pricing as an operational detail should take note.
Topic
Occupancy hits a nine-year high and strains every metric
Occupancy has hit a nine-year high, but Mirus Australia’s data shows a chain reaction for boards: tighter care minutes, costly agency labour, cautious regulation and no new beds. Pull one thread and the rest unravel.
Enough blame – ‘bed blocking’ needs common sense funding
Australia’s aged care ‘bed blocking’ is seniors stranded in hospital, and a hospital system stretched to breaking. Fixing the problem is of national importance for the nation, says Australian Medical Association NSW president Dr Fred Betros. This isn’t a senior problem he says, this is care impacted for all.
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