Friday, September 25, 2026

Hello Leaders Edition 7 Autumn

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Hello Leaders.

Last updated on 22 May 2026

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Hello Leaders.

The gap between what we say we value — and what we actually deliver.

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This issue leans into the tensions the sector doesn’t always say out loud. The ones that sit beneath reform, behind policy, and inside everyday decisions on the floor.

A consistent theme runs through it: the gap between what we say we value and what our systems actually deliver. Professor Joseph Ibrahim captures it clearly. We speak the language of dignity, but build systems around risk. Dr Simon Longstaff brings the same challenge to artificial intelligence. Tim Hicks points to the pressure between improving care and sustaining access. Daniel Gannon reframes care as something that enables independence, not limits it.

Shane Delia brings a different lens, reminding us that food is experience, identity and dignity. And in our feature with Cameron McPherson, we explore what leadership proximity really means in a sector moving towards consolidation.

What connects these voices is not agreement, but clarity. Because leadership in aged care is not about choosing the easiest path. It is about choosing the right one.

Order your free print copyhere

Read the digital editionhere

SEP 18 – 24, 2026

• aged care workforce

Stuck in hospital, waiting at home: the reform gap

Michael Foenander, Consultant Grandmothers with no one to talk to. Fathers denied care for months. Michael Foenander believes Australia’s aged care crisis isn’t a workforce story: it’s a governance failure. And it’s one costing providers real money and reputation.

• reform

Rationed care isn’t rights-based care, Uniting NSW.ACT tells Senate

Marion Piper, Contributor Some older Australians assessed as eligible for Support at Home are going without care because the co-contributions are out of reach. See what Uniting NSW.ACT’s Saviour Buhagiar recently told the Senate inquiry about the highly-criticised program.

• dementia

Time over tasks: inside Whiddon’s dementia care pilot

Marion Piper, Contributor A resident who pushed everyone away now hugs staff. A man who slept all day now talks about his fears. Whiddon’s RBC Enrich pilot shows what emotional connection does in dementia care, and what leaders must change to sustain it.

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