Australian Ageing Agenda

At this week’s monthly #techtalk the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has reminded attendees that the current caretaker period is limiting their statements to factual issues and matters of administration but did encourage #providers to reach out to their #softwarevendors and connect with the new APIs for seamless #datasharing. Fay Flevaras GAICD #agedcare #agedcarenews #webinar #agedcaretech #technology #agedcarereform https://lnkd.in/gcPbhMHe

The Fair Work Ombudsman is investigating 20 different #agedcareprovider organisations across 27 sites to ensure #compliance. The investigations are focused on #pay and #entitlements for #personalcareworkers, #nurses and #nursingassistants, as well as on assessing #recordkeeping. They have been ongoing since February. The Fair Work Ombudsman said organisations were selected for #inspection after considering any history of non-compliance with the Fair Work Act, anonymous reports from #staffmembers, or their employment of #visaholders – among other factors. Anna Booth #agedcarenews #agedcareaustralia #employeerights #australianworkerrights https://lnkd.in/g423mjZ8

As #australia settles into #caretakerperiod in preparation for the #election on 3 May, several #advocacygroups and #peakbodies are calling for #commitments and #funding for a team of #dementia specialist coordinators, a nationally consistent and #physioled twice-weekly group #fallsprevention program, #mealdeliverysupport, and #streamlinedmigration to combat #agedcare #workforceshortages. Dementia Australia Tanya Buchanan, PhD GAICD Australian Physiotherapy Association Rik Dawson Meals on Wheels™ Australia Paul Sadler Ageing Australia Tom Symondson #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcarereform #australianelection #olderaustralians #advocacy https://lnkd.in/gxphSMU9

The Support at Home program manual’s focus on #reablement and #wellness shows the Australian government values #alliedhealth and #therapy and expects the #agedcare sector to increase its offerings in these areas, says positive ageing advocate Dr Tim Henwood. “Providers not already pivoting or at least thinking about pivoting towards allied health and therapy stand the chance of being left behind,” says Tim ahead of the Positive Ageing Summit in Adelaide on 28-29 May, where industry leaders, pioneers and innovators will share evidence-based and sustainable strategies for improving the health and wellbeing of older Australians. Also attending and sponsoring the two-day event is the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, whose representatives will address the conference about the new focus on allied health in the upcoming reforms. A department spokesperson told Positive Ageing Summit: “Delegates will hear directly from the Department of Health and Aged Care about the upcoming Support at Home reform. Recognising that poor health among older Australians has wide-reaching impacts, allied health and restorative care are a priority feature in the incoming reform. All consumers will be offered these services equally under the Clinical Category, independent of their financial status, and at no out-of-pocket expense to them.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gZ4jyGrQ #agedcarenews #agedcareaustralia #supportathome #agedcarereform #positiveageing

A #pilotproject examining where #technology and #AI can be integrated into #personcentred #agedcare through the use of #robots has proven so popular residents and staff at BaptistCare Caloola Aged Care Home in Wagga Wagga have named the mechanical team members. Following a competition, they settled on Sadie, Skippy and Gretal and each one has a special role to help the #team in their day-to-day #work around the #home. Petrina Greenwood Tom Culver BaptistCare The Robot Factory #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcaretech #agedcareinnovation #olderaustralians #waggawagga #caloola https://lnkd.in/gREjg6Nk

The Australian Government ’s ageing-in-place policy aims in part to prevent #olderpeople from having to enter #residentialcare or #hospital, but the new Support at Home program contribution structure could see the opposite, warn #stakeholders, with some expressing concern that it may disincentivise #olderpeople entering from using non-clinical services – namely services like #domesticassistance – despite their proven importance in preventing #olderpeople from having to enter #residentialcare or #hospital prematurely. Mark Sheldon-Stemm Chris Mamarelis Whiddon David Sinclair StewartBrown #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcarereform #supportathome #homecare #olderaustralians https://lnkd.in/gYhpbMWa

The Mala'la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation in Maningrida, Northern Territory, is set to receive $12.8 million in funding through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program. The #funding will be used to deliver new rooms, refurbish kitchen facilities, improve staff amenities and build a new sensory #dementia garden, amongst other things. Marion Scrymgour Anika Wells #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcarefunding #olderaustralians #remoteagedcare #maningrida #northernterritory https://lnkd.in/ggi3ibyJ

Allied Health Professions Australia and Dementia Australia have expressed concern at the lack of support shown to their respective sectors in the 2025 #federalbudget. #AHPA CEO Bronwyn Morris-Donovan said that while the Australian Government appeared to have an ambitious #healthreform agenda, the omission of #alliedhealth in the #budget is disappointing. Dementia Australia CEO Tanya Buchanan, PhD GAICD also expressed her disappointment at the lack of #funding to reduce the impact of #dementia – soon to be the leading cause of death in #australia. #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcarebudget #agedcarefunding #olderaustralians #auspol https://lnkd.in/gqFvydz3

A panel of three #agedcareprovider #executives sharing #strategies on meeting #carerequirements during a #workforceshortage at Mirus Australia’s #webinar attracted hundreds. Strategies discussed included sign-on bonuses, #retention bonuses, refer-a-friend payments, paying for #relocation expenses and #migrantnurse #trainingprograms, among others. The #webinar also provided #insight into the #confidence of 255 providers in their ability to deliver the #directcareminuteobligations. Robert Covino #tylerfisher Alyson Jarrett Whiddon Jo Boylan Clayton Church Homes Donna Hart Churches of Christ in Queensland #agedcare #agedcarenews #agedcareresearch #agedcarestrategy #workforce https://lnkd.in/gYDr9GCv

As the #agedcare sector continues to embrace #technologicalinnovation the risk and regularity of #cyberattacks increase, with the CyberCX Diagnosing Cyber Threats in Healthcare 2025 report and the Australian Institute of Company Directors Not-for-Profit Governance & Performance Study 2024-25 both finding the sector ranking high on the list of sub-sectors targeted. This is of particular concern given the #sensitive and #personal nature of the #data being exposed, with the most prevalent attack type on the sub-sector being #cyberextortion – the threat or action of publishing personal and sensitive information #online. Phil Butler #agedcareresearch #agedcarenews #agedcaretrends #agedcarechange #olderaustralians #techrisk #agedcarerisks https://lnkd.in/gkw8kMb5