Program overview
Aged Care Futures: People, Purpose and Progress
The conference theme highlights where the sector is heading and what providers need to focus on next. You will gain insights into workforce, quality care and the innovations shaping tomorrow’s services.
People
Centers on the workforce and empowering the next generation through strong career pathways and capability building. We will focus on attracting talent, growing skills and developing future leaders.
Purpose
Focuses on supporting aged care providers to deliver sustainable, high-quality services, ensuring safety and meaningful outcomes while adapting to funding changes and post-reform requirements.
Progress
Explore innovation, technology and new models of care, showing how providers can adapt, improve operations and remain resilient as the sector changes.
| Program at a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Thursday 13 August (Conference and Trade Exhibition) | ||
| 8am - 5pm | Registration & Arrival Tea and Coffee | |
9am - 9.20am | Welcome and Opening of Conference
To help us start the day with energy and connection, we'll begin with a short, interactive movement experience based on the ABCC of Healthy Ageing. This evidence-informed session will explore how movement helps us stay Active, Brainy, Connected through Community and Creative, while demonstrating simple, practical ideas that can be applied in aged care to support resident wellbeing, staff engagement and person-centred care. | |
9.20am - 9.50am | Ageing Australia CEO Address | |
9.50am - 10.10am | Ministerial Address The Hon Jodie Elizabeth Harrison, Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault | |
10.10am - 10.40am | Ageing Population Dr. Kerry Chant AO PSM, Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary – Population and Public Health, NSW Health | |
10.40am – 11.10am | Morning Tea and Networking | |
11.15am – 11.35am | Navigating the Next Phase of Aged Care Reform Elsy Brammesan, State Manager NSW/ACT, Department of Health and Aged Care | |
| 11.35am – 12.20pm | Panel Discussion Aged Care 2030: What Providers Need to Prepare for Now New South Wales and the ACT are at the forefront of many of the demographic, workforce and service delivery challenges shaping the future of aged care. This panel will explore the trends likely to influence the sector over the next decade, including population growth, workforce supply, housing and retirement living, changing consumer expectations and technology adoption. Panellists will discuss what providers need to prioritise today to remain sustainable, responsive and future-ready by 2030. | |
| 12.20pm – 12.50pm | Financial Sustainability Under Reform Stuart Hutcheon, Managing Partner, StewartBrown | |
12.50pm – 1.50pm | Lunch and Networking | |
| 1.50pm - 3.25pm | Breakout session: Home care | |
| 1.50pm – 1.55pm | Welcome from Chair Bethany Langford, CEO, The Community Transport | |
| 1.55pm – 2.25pm | Live Easy: A Different Kind of Home Care Richard de Haast, CEO, Scalabrini Villages What happens when you design a home care service around real life, not rigid rosters? Live Easy is a new model built from the ground up to offer hyper-personalised care, cultural connection and social inclusion, not as extras, but as core business. CEO Richard de Haast shares what happens when you stop asking "What's funded?" and start asking "What matters? | |
| 2.25pm – 2.55pm | The Essence of a Model of Care That Connects People, Purpose and Progress This session will explore how an evidence-informed Model of Care is transforming community aged care by placing people, purpose, and progress at the centre of service delivery. Grounded in a rights-based approach and shaped by the voices of older people, staff and clinical leaders, The Benevolent Society’s Ageing Well Model of Care embeds person-centred practice, strong community connections, and culturally responsive care. Participants will explore how the Model of Care, clinical governance framework, relational practice, and meaningful engagement work together to support older people to remain connected with their communities while maintaining autonomy, wellbeing, and quality of life. | |
| 2.55pm – 3.25pm | Design Before Decline: The Case for Showing Up Sooner The aged care sector is built to respond to crisis. Live Easy Social is built to arrive before it. In this session, Executive Director Adam Woods explores what happens when you treat social connection as the foundation of good ageing, and why the most powerful intervention we can offer older Australians is helping them design their future before someone else designs it for them. | |
| 1.50pm - 3.25pm | Breakout session: Residential care | |
| 1.50pm – 1.55pm | Welcome from Chair Dr Rosy Walia, GAICD, CEO, Multicultural Care | |
| 1.55pm – 2.25pm | Higher Everyday Living Fees: Provider Successes, Challenges and Lessons Learned Megan White, Director, Pride Aged Living Higher Everyday Living Fees (HELF) present both opportunities and challenges for aged care providers. This session explores lessons from early adopters, data and insights from different approaches and navigating evolving governance and regulatory expectations. Key Takeaways
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| 2.25pm – 2.55pm | Better Buildings, No Extra Cost Nick Seemann, Managing Director, Constructive Dialogue Architects The session will show how new buildings can be constructed to align with the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines without increased budget and how strategic improvements can transform existing buildings to better meet the Guidelines. | |
| 2.55pm – 3.25pm | What Do You Want to Do Today? Reimagining Daily Life in Residential Care Richard de Haast, CEO, Scalabrini Villages Scalabrini's approach to residential aged care doesn't start with a diagnosis or a schedule. It starts with a question. CEO Richard de Haast shares how a single shift in thinking is turning aged care from a system people fear into a place they choose. | |
3.25pm – 3.55pm | Afternoon Tea and Networking | |
| 3.55pm – 4.35pm | You can’t say that - the off camera discussion the sector is asking for Dane Mitchell, Managing Director, Optimum Allied Health Join podcast hosts Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater for a live recording of the Time Well Spent Podcast, exploring some of the biggest and most challenging issues facing aged care today. This candid conversation will delve into topics including the future of care minutes, funding pressures, innovation in service delivery, and why more sector leaders aren't speaking publicly about the challenges they face. The session will conclude with a live audience Q&A, giving delegates the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and ask the questions that matter most. | |
| 4.35pm - 4.40pm | Day Wrap Up and Closing | |
| 6.30pm - 7pm | Pre-dinner drinks | |
| 7pm - 11pm | Conference dinner sponsored by HESTA | |
| Program at a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Friday, 14 August (Conference and Trade Exhibition) | ||
| 8am - 5pm | Registration open | |
9am - 9.05am | Opening Remarks and Welcome Back | |
9.05am - 9.45am | Leading Through Complexity: Decision Making, Behaviour and Change in Times of Uncertainty Dr Darren Coppin, CEO & Chief Behavioural Scientist | |
9.45am - 10.30am | Panel Discussion Combatting racism in aged care Michael Whaites, General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association Giridharan Sivaraman, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission Anita Bonanno, General Manager, Co.As.It. NSW and ACT providers are navigating significant reform while responding to changing consumer expectations, workforce challenges and increasing demand for aged care services. As the sector continues to evolve, leaders must make strategic decisions today that will shape the sustainability and success of their organisations well into the future. Bringing together legal, provider and consumer perspectives, this panel will explore the key trends shaping aged care over the next five years, including governance, workforce, service innovation, financial sustainability and changing consumer expectations. Attendees will gain practical insights into the leadership decisions and organisational capabilities needed to build resilient, future-ready services by 2030. | |
10.30am - 11am | Morning Tea and Networking | |
11.05am - 11.35am | Workforce Wellbeing and Workers Compensation Reform: What Providers Need to Know Andrew Hollier, Industry Relationship Manager - Workers Compensation, icare With workforce wellbeing becoming increasingly critical to service sustainability, providers must stay ahead of emerging workers compensation trends and legislative change. This practical session explores the latest NSW aged care claims data, upcoming reforms and provider obligations, while highlighting the business case for investing in workforce mental health. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to better support their people, reduce risk and strengthen organisational performance. | |
11.35am - 12.05pm | Wage Underpayment: Managing Risk and Strengthening Practice | |
12.05pm - 12.55pm | Lunch and Networking | |
1pm - 1.30pm | Aged Care M&A: Navigating Growth, Consolidation and Regulatory Change Rohan Harris, Chair, Russell Kennedy As aged care providers seek greater scale, resilience and efficiency, M&A and consolidation are becoming increasingly important strategic tools. This session explores critical elements of age care deals, including due diligence, regulatory approvals (including under the new ACCC regime) and integration planning, with practical insights on the evolving regulatory landscape. Gain practical insights into the key transaction and execution risks involved in aged care deals, the impact of recent regulatory changes, including the new ACCC merger regime, and how effective transition planning can maximise transaction value and support successful outcomes. | |
1.30pm - 2pm | Fireside chat: Digital Maturity in Aged Care Mona Thind, Founder, Inclusive Intelligence Scott Lawton, Chief Executive Officer, IT Integrity | |
2pm - 2.30pm | From pilot to production: an AI case study in home care Aged care providers must improve care and efficiency while supporting stretched workforces. This case study shows how ECH moved AI from pilot to production within weeks, integrating it with existing care management systems. Learn the governance, implementation, and adoption lessons that enabled responsible, practical, and measurable outcomes. Key takeaways:
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2.30pm - 3pm | When Reform Meets Real Life: What Aged Care Change Means for Older People, Providers and NSW Trustee and Guardian Brian Woods, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Trustee and Guardian Australia’s aged care reforms promise greater choice, dignity and rights for older people. This session explores what those changes mean in practice for aged care providers, guardians, financial managers and the people they support. Drawing on frontline experience, it examines opportunities, challenges and collaboration needed to ensure reforms deliver real benefits. | |
3pm - 3.20pm | Afternoon Tea and Networking | |
3.25pm – 3.55pm | Beyond Compliance: Partnering for Quality and Trust Under the New Aged Care Act Emma Jobson, Assistant Commissioner, Regulatory Strategy and Policy, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission | |
3.55pm – 4.35pm | Navigating the future: Trends reshaping Australia's aged care sector Ashley Fell, Futurist and Demographer The ageing and aged care sector sits at the forefront of Australia’s shifting social landscape. Navigating this future requires a deep understanding of not just demographic shifts, but the changing values of those we care for and employ. In this engaging keynote, social researcher and demographer Ashley Fell unpacks the megatrends transforming Australia, examining how economic insights, technological disruption, and shifting social expectations are redefining the sector. Crucially, Ashley bridges these macro trends with subtle yet powerful insights into generational change. From understanding the evolving expectations of baby boomers as they age, to managing the intergenerational workforce tasked with their care, this session moves beyond the data to deliver real-world relevance. Renowned for her engaging and in-demand speaking style, Ashley will equip leaders and decision-makers with the evidence-based strategies needed to move from reacting to change, to confidently shaping the future of care. | |
4.35pm – 4.40pm | Conference Close | |
4.40pm – 5.40pm | Networking Hour | |
Disclaimer: Please note that this conference program is subject to revisions and updates. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, changes may
occur prior to the event. Attendees are encouraged to regularly check for updates on the conference website. Thank you for your understanding.