Wednesday, August 26, 2026

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.

Latest News

For-profit aged care brings clarity to sector fault-lines

For-profit versus not-for-profit is a detour tension point the industry can’t afford. Mel Argent of Rockpool shares insight for the common goal, removing inefficiencies so that aged care can thrive in Australia. For seniors and staff, all providers and departments must pull towards best.

• industry news

Building the bridge to reshape First Nations aged care

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.

Yvette Willison, Content Writer

• residential aged care

Micro scale aged care punches above its weight

As the pace of aged care’s market consolidation intensifies, so too must the conversation of one size fitting all. Honeybee homes is a ‘tiny’ provider on NSW’s north coast that is bucking the trend. A 30-year wait list shows they’ve captured demand in a big way.

Amy Henderson, Contributor

• aged care

The right technology doesn’t change care. It changes how care is supported.

Fewer than half of aged care providers are meeting care minute targets. As nursing shortages worsen, meeting targets isn’t just about headcount – it’s about using technology to reduce friction, eliminate unnecessary administration, and support clinical teams on the frontlines.

Marion Piper, Contributor

• aged care workforce

Who will take care of older Australians if migration slows?

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.

Hayley Campbell, Content Writer

Contributors

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."

Lindsey OGrady

Lindsey OGrady

Rise Up Group - Senior Catering Operations 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."

Lesley Barton

Lesley Barton

Atlas McNeil - National Clinical and Training Manager

"Lesley Barton is the National Clinical and Training Manager at Bunzl & Atlas McNeil Healthcare Community, with over 40 years of healthcare experience."

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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

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 Act

Aged care reforms haven’t fixed staffing, survey finds

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.

• disability

Standardised failure: how the new NDIS bill sacrifices participants for budget repair

Marion Piper, Contributor As NDIS reforms repeat the design flaws of aged care’s algorithmic funding failures, Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess warns that providers will bear the fallout of standardised models that sacrifice individual needs for budget repair.

• aged care

Why KPMG’s whistleblower failure should concern every aged care provider

Marion Piper, Contributor Following KPMG’s high-profile whistleblower governance failure, Australian aged care directors face heightened scrutiny. Under the new Aged Care Act, leaders can be personally fined up to $165,000 for non-compliant reporting systems, even if the organisation itself escapes regulatory action.

• aged care

Support at Home’s biggest test: Can government turn reform promises into real-world care access? 

Lauren Liao, Contributor A survey of older Australians has highlighted growing frustration with Support at Home, revealing challenges around waiting times, complexity, provider availability and out-of-pocket costs.

Why aged care’s IAT human override could become the next bottleneck

• aged care

Lauren Liao, Contributor OPAN’s CEO Craig Gear warns the IAT’s human override could recreate the bottleneck it’s meant to fix. With three changes in weeks and Minister Rae unable to confirm trigger criteria or timeframes, boards need to start managing the internal exposure themselves.

Topic

Providers are drowning in data, and for what?

• aged care provider

A promise made when the National Quality Indicator Program launched is being quietly broken, industry data specialists say – with resident-level scrutiny, uncosted reporting demands, and no performance data flowing back to providers.

Why retirement village resident experience now must extend beyond the village

• aged care providers

Retirement villages are evolving beyond lifestyle communities into key enablers of ageing in place. Through partnerships, resident feedback and early intervention, operators are helping older Australians navigate changing support needs while improving resident experience and long-term wellbeing.

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