Marion Piper, Contributor
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.
Latest News
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.
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.
Marion Piper, Contributor
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.
Amy Henderson, Contributor
Six weeks in: why Support at Home care management funding is under pressure
One provider says its Support at Home care management funding runs out halfway through the quarter. But the work doesn’t stop. Who’s absorbing the shortfall, and what does it mean for staff and participants?
Hayley Campbell, Content Writer
Before HELF, there was a beer for grandad
CareApp founder Allison Nikula once struggled to buy her grandad a beer in aged care. With the HELF transition ending on 31 October, her story points providers to the harder question: can you prove what residents chose was actually delivered?
Marion Piper, Contributor
Contributors
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."
- Aged Care Hospitality Specialist
"Lindsey O’Grady is a chef and aged care hospitality specialist with 40 years’ experience."
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News
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.
The hidden cost of respite: Why Australia’s cheapest aged care investment may save the most money
Yvette Willison, Content Writer Respite has long been viewed as a support for carers. A joint statement from Dementia Australia and Carers Australia says it’s something much bigger: preventative infrastructure that keeps older Australians at home, reduces hospital demand and delays residential aged care. The real cost will be continuing to underinvest.
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.
Topic
Dementia is not just a medical problem – it’s a community problem
A dementia diagnosis changes more than one person’s memory: it reshapes families, neighbourhoods and the places people live. Michael Foenander urges sector leaders to design for identity, dignity and purpose, and to treat families as partners in care, not visitors.
Sexuality and intimacy in aged care: why a policy isn’t enough
Sexual safety and sexual rights are firmly on the aged care regulator’s agenda for 2026–27. Kate Lamont says providers need to look beyond policy and ask whether staff know what to do in practice.
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