Aged care
2023 Year in Review: Aged Care
Dec 13 2023
32 min read
Caroline Egan

The Weekly SOURCE looks back over the past 12 months in the aged care sector. More funding is flowing to the sector from the Government through the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC), but the pace of reforms and workforce shortages remain challenging for providers. Here is Caroline Egan's recap of the aged care highlights of 2023.    

January

  • Seven Group sold its 10% stake in ASX-listed residential aged care provider Estia Health, for around $55 million or $2 per share, making a loss of about 40% on the six-year investment.
  • Infin8 Care acquired three aged care homes from small private operator Retreat Care, for an estimated $100 million. The homes, in Cleveland and Ashmore, South East Queensland, and Tweed Heads in the NSW Northern Rivers region, total more than 350 beds.
  • Signature Care opened its 114-bed western NSW Wagga Wagga aged care home with 120 beds full.
  • Catholic Health Australia CEO Pat Garcia wrote in support of increased consumer contributions in a column for The Australian Financial Review, in line with DCM Group's Plan B for increasing consumer contributions for the cost of aged care for those who can afford to pay more in order to create a fairer system. “Between 2016 and 2020, government funding increased by $2 billion – or 17% – but users paid only $400 million more, an increase of just 8%,” Pat wrote.
  • Bupa Asia-Pacific Chief Executive Hisham El-Ansary also came out in favour of higher consumer payments for aged care. “Right now, two thirds of the sector is losing money and whether you’re a profit or a Not For Profit, you can’t have a situation where your expenditures are greater than your revenues. The question we’ve got to ask ourselves is, is that reasonable for those who are selling multimillion-dollar homes, for example, and the maximum they can contribute towards their care is $73,000 in their lifetime," he said.
  • Department of Health and Aged Care data showed 38 aged care homes closed in 2022, accounting for 2,104 beds.

February

  • Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ 6,000-word ‘Capitalism after the crises’ essay was published in The Monthly. The Treasurer said the Government is looking to partner with banks and super funds through a new social impact investing fund to finance big-ticket budget items, such as aged care.
  • Corangamite Shire Council in Victoria made the decision to stop providing home care services from 1 July 2023.
  • The number of deaths in residential aged care from COVID-19 passed 5,000. 
  • Not For Profit aged care provider Goodwin acquired 92-bed The Glen in Batemans Bay from Fresh Hope Communities.
  • Property fund manager Baron Vanilla acquired for $12 million the 4,000 square metre property of Emerald Life aged care in West Leederville, Perth. Emerald Life will continue to operate the facility.
  • Mutual fund Australian Unity announced it was considering exiting residential aged care. “Australia’s aged care sector is facing a number of challenges, including those that stem from rising demand, pressure on financial sustainability and ongoing (and uncertain) regulatory and funding changes following the Aged Care Royal Commission,” they said.
  • Australia’s largest Not for Profit aged care provider Bolton Clarke said it would acquire family-run McKenzie Aged Care. Under the deal, McKenzie Aged Care would transfer nine residential aged care homes and two retirement villages, together with the management rights for eight additional homes, to Bolton Clarke.
  • The Fair Work Commission extended the 15% pay rise for direct care aged care workers to senior chefs and lifestyle coordinators, and said the interim rise should take effect on 30 June 2023. The Government had previously tried to stagger the pay rise over two payments.

March

  • There was standing room only when the Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, spoke at LEADERS SUMMIT 2023, joining more than 45 CEOs presenting at the event in Sydney. Optimism was the common theme, and speakers also acknowledged the accelerating pace of consolidation. You can watch the Minister’s presentation here. 
  • ASX-listed Regis Aged Care delivered a better-than-expected half year result, with a net loss after tax of $25.9 million for the six months to 31 December 2022, driven by a $28.5 million amortisation of its operational beds (net of tax) begun in the 2021-22 financial year. The positive results were offset by a 5.3% increase in staff expenses (excluding COVID outbreak staff costs) and $13 million in COVID-19 outbreak costs.
  • Dr Shane Moran, of the Moran care dynasty, sold the luxury Dawes Point historic home, Darling House, which he acquired in 2016, and refurbished into a luxury private aged care home. Sales of the home’s seven luxury suites, completed in 2021, never went ahead. The vacant property sold for $23.1 million.
  • The Government’s first Quarterly Financial Report was published, revealing residential aged care providers lost $27.90 before tax for every resident, every day in the September 2022 quarter. Home care providers, on the other hand, were making a net profit before tax per care recipient per day of $5.00.
  • A Department of Health and Aged Care ‘Hot Issues Brief’, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, refuted claims the aged care sector was close to collapse, recommending “providers should focus on administrative efficiencies and opportunities to increase revenue from accommodation to improve their financial performance”. 
  • For Purpose Investment Partners, founded in 2018 to invest in projects that deliver positive social outcomes, signed agreements to acquire family-run Victorian residential aged care provider Luson Aged Care’s three aged care homes, two in Geelong and one in Clyde North, 46km south-east of Melbourne, plus a development site in Rowville, 27km south-east of the Melbourne CBD.
  • Not For Profit Feros Care announced it would redevelop Feros Village Byron Bay aged care home, which opened in 1990, into an intergenerational community. Staff would be offered jobs elsewhere within Feros Care, and residents supported to find new homes, yet a handful of residents refused to move out, sparking plans to sell the home.
  • The Productivity Commission’s ‘Advancing Prosperity- 5-year Productivity Inquiry’ report noted that a re-balancing of funding between the taxpayer and consumers is needed to create a sustainable aged care funding model.
  • US private equity firm Bain Capital launched a $3 per share takeover bid for ASX-listed Estia Health, a 28% premium to the previous day’s closing share price.
  • Not Por Profit IRT Group announced the acquisition of Marco Polo Aged Care Services, which has two residential aged care facilities in the local Illawarra region, south of Sydney, as well as Home Care Packages.
  • Kiama Council on the NSW South Coast announced it will sell its aged care services at Blue Haven Bonaira in an effort to address its financial problems. Blue Haven has been a significant factor in their financial difficulties, the Council said.
  • Aged care turnaround specialist Respect Aged Care acquired its 20th aged care home, Sir William Hudson Memorial Centre, in Cooma, 114km south of Canberra.

April

  • Wesley Mission announced it would close its three Sydney aged care homes: Wesley Rayward Carlingford, Wesley Taylor Narrabeen, and Wesley Vickery Sylvania. Wesley Mission CEO and superintendent Reverend Stu Cameron said staff shortages and the ongoing reforms to aged care were behind the decision.
  • One day later, West Australian Not For Profit Brightwater Care Group announced it would close three of its smallest and older aged care facilities over 12 months. The three homes – Joondalup (20 beds), Huntingdale (30 beds) and South Lake (30 beds) – are each around 30 years old and were designed as lower care sites. Brightwater Care Group CEO Catherine Stoddart said the age, design and size of the facilities – combined with the introduction of 24/7 Registered Nurses and mandated staff minutes – were behind the decision.
  • StewartBrown’s Financial Performance Survey for the six months to December 2022 showed that aged care homes on average recorded an operating loss of $15.98 per bed per day, a 55% increase in losses from the $10.31 loss recorded in the December 2021 half, however the 4Q result showed an improvement due to the introduction of AN-ACC. Home care operators also experienced a worsening in their financial performance, recording on average an operating result per client per day of $2.54, nearly half the $4.51 result achieved for the same period the previous year.
  • ASX-listed Estia Health rejected Bain Capital’s takeover bid, but opened its books to the US-based equity firm to allow the opportunity for a higher offer.
  • The Government replaced the High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment with a new Aged Care Worker COVID-19 leave grant of the same $750 value for casual and permanent aged care workers who do not have access to annual leave. No end date was set for the payments.
  • Signature Care opened its first home in Western Australia, with the 144-bed Singleton Community Aged Care Home, about 160km south of the Perth CBD, bringing the expanding provider’s total homes to 12 (four in Victoria, three in NSW, four in QLD, and one in WA).
  • The Government announced the resumption of work restrictions on student visa holders from 1 July 2023, however, holders of student visas were able to work at an increased rate of 48 hours per fortnight. During COVID-19, the cap was removed, allowing student visa holders to work over their then-limit of 40 hours per fortnight.
  • The December Quarter Home Care Packages Program Data Report revealed that at 31 December 2022, there were 938 approved home care providers, an increase of 2% (14 providers) from 30 September 2022 (924) and 3% (27 providers) from 31 December 2021 (911).

  • The Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers (pictured) and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said aged care was “egregiously underfunded” by the previous Government and additional funding was needed to “restore dignity” to the sector. They released figures showing the cost of delivering aged was forecast to rise 23% for the 2023 financial year, from $24.8 billion to $29.6 billion, driven by the ageing population, and expected to hit $35.8 billion by by 2025-26.
  • Ahead of the May 2023 Budget, a consortium representing 12% of Australia’s aged care facilities – including Catholic Health Australia, Opal HealthCare, Anglicare Sydney, and Southern Cross Care (QLD) – called on the Government to uncap the Basic Daily Fee for self-funded retirees in line with Plan B. The Fee is currently capped at 85% of a single person’s basic Pension, or $58.98 per day – regardless of the resident’s wealth or retirement status, and regardless of the cost of providing the services.
  • ACH Group announced it will be the first aged care provider in Australia to implement the Green House Project model of care, which promotes the autonomy and individuality of residents and staff, in its Healthia residential care home due to open later in the year.
  • Anne Burgess AM was appointed Chair, Aged Care Council of Elders, the body advising the Government from the perspective of older Australians about the aged care reforms. Anne took over from the current Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care, Ian Yates AM. 
  • Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson told a webinar the Commission will take a “fair and sensible” approach to regulating the 24/7 RN requirements in residential aged care, understanding that not all homes will be able to meet the requirement due to workforce shortages. “It’s unlikely we will take enforcement action”, she said..
  • The Independent Capability Review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission was handed to Government with 32 recommendations to reform and strengthen the regulator, but was not made publicly available. The review was conducted by David Tune AO PSM, the former Secretary of the Department of Finance and Deregulation, who also chaired the 2016 Aged Care Legislated Review.
  • Shine Lawyers filed a class action against Anglicare on behalf of 25 people after 19 residents died at the provider’s Newmarch House in Penrith, Sydney, in the early days of the pandemic.

May 

  • The future of Special Disability Accommodation was put under the microscope at the latest Westpac Conversations at the Wharf featuring Michelle Northcote, National Manager, Disability Housing, and Westpac’s Kaizaad Mehta, National Head of Health and Industry Specialisation.
  • Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that the Federal Government will fund the 15% pay rise in full from July 2023, after previously pledging to pay the increase in two instalments.
  • The Government revealed that in February it paid political consultants Kantar Public Australia $396,000 to look into consumers’ understanding of aged care funding.
  • Karen Borg stepped down from her role as CEO of Catholic Healthcare, and former Chief Operating Officer, Josh McFarlane, took up the role.
  • The Government launched the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreements, which offer migrants an expedited two-year pathway to permanent residency if they work in aged care. WA’s Curtin Heritage Living was the first provider to secure an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement.
  • The Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced the end of the aged care in-house pharmacy program, a recommendation of the Royal Commission, saying community pharmacies will take on medication management, including Resident Medication Management Reviews (RMMR), in aged care.
  • The Government announced the establishment of the Aged Care Taskforce in the Federal Budget, with the aim of reviewing funding arrangements and developing options for a more “fair and equitable” system.
  • The Budget also contained news that Support at Home reforms were being pushed back 12 months to 1 July 2025.
  • Private operator Arcare, which operates 51 aged care homes across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, opened Arcare Belmont, about 18km from the centre of Newcastle. The 80-suite home operates on Arcare’s ‘Dedicated Relationships’ model, which places relationships between the residents, their family and team members at the centre.
  • Feros Care confirmed that a “small number” of residents were refusing to leave its Byron Bay facility, which it slated for closure in March.
  • Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old resident of Yallambee Lodge aged care facility, in the NSW Snowy Mountains town of Cooma, died in hospital days after allegedly being Tasered by a police officer after she approached him on her walking frame while carrying a steak knife.
  • Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells wrote to providers saying funding for their Home Care Packages would increase by 11.9% from 1 July 2023 to cover the cost of the Fair Work Commission’s 15% wage rise, leaving providers blindsided.
  • 79 residents died from COVID-19 in one week, as a rise in cases in the community infiltrated aged care homes.

June

  • StewartBrown’s Aged Care Financial Performance Sector Report showed that spending on agency staff more than doubled from the same time the previous year – increasing by $9.86 per bed per day (from $7.18 pbpd in the March 2022 quarter) to $17.04 pbpd in the March 2023 quarter.
  • Emergency leave for aged care residents was extended to 31 December 2023 as COVID-19 remained an ongoing challenge for providers.
  • Bernadette Gotch, formerly COO, was appointed CEO of private-equity owned home care provider Kincare.
  • Regional Victorian providers continued to walk away from delivering home care services, with another ten councils stopping services from 1 July 2023, including Corangamite, Ballarat, Glenelg, Bendigo, Hindmarsh, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Buloke, Pyrenees and Yarriambiack councils. 

July

  • The Aged Care Taskforce met for the first time, chaired by the Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells.
  • In the nine months to 30 April 2023, 8,282 rooms were approved for RADs above the maximum $550,000, a limit set in 2014, or approximately 5% of residents.
  • After announcing a review of its aged care operations in February, which was widely expected to result in the operator of more than 1,000 beds leaving the sector, mutual organisation Australian Unity said it is staying the course with a “continued focus and involvement in the aged care sector”.
  • Residents began moving into The Alba Care Suites, part of Australian Unity’s 15-storey The Alba assisted living and residential aged care development in South Melbourne.
  • Not For Profit Lyndoch Living’s May Noonan aged care home in Terang, 200km southwest of Melbourne, received full accreditation only weeks before the home was due to close due to the lack of Registered Nurses and rising agency costs.
  • We reported that home care providers were raising prices to cover the higher wages bill which came into effect on 1 July 2023, 
  • The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Weekly SOURCE that in the 2022-23 financial year, 428 workers from the Pacific and Timor-Leste arrived in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and began placements in aged care.
  • Pat Garcia stepped down from his role as CEO of Catholic Health Australia and accepted a role as Group General Manager Public Affairs and General Counsel, St Vincent’s Health Australia, another of Australia’s largest Not For Profit health and aged care service providers.
  • Several small, regional aged care homes closed their doors, citing a range of concerns including aged care reforms and staff shortages, including Queensland-based Not For Profit Carinity closing Summit Cottages in Mount Morgan, 680km north of Brisbane, Churches of Christ closing Petrie Gardens, the only aged care home in Tiaro, 227km north of Brisbane, and Not For Profit Catholic Healthcare closing St Mary’s Villa aged care home in Dubbo, in the NSW Central West.
  • Not For Profit Mercy Community turned the first sod on its new 90-bed, $42 million aged care home, Mercy Haven, which will be next to its existing 45-year-old Bethany residential aged care building in Rockhampton, 640km northwest of Brisbane.
  • Auditors Forsyth Accounting identified “significant deficiencies” in Kiama Council’s development of its 134-bed Blue Haven Bonaira aged care project, including underestimating the cost of the building by about $30 million.
  • Catholic Health Australia said the Government owed several providers millions in COVID-19 Grants, which were launched during the pandemic to cover the costs providers incurred during outbreaks. Calvary Health Care had submitted around $55 million worth of COVID grant claims but had only been paid out $5 million at the time.
  • Louise Macleod (pictured), a senior bureaucrat of 20 years, was appointed Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. 

  • Senior Constable Kristian White appeared by videolink in court, charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault in relation to allegedly Tasering 95-year-old Clare Nowland at the Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in Cooma, NSW. 

August

  • Estia Health acquired two of Not For Profit Royal Freemasons’ aged, care homes, one in Benalla, 200km northeast of Melbourne, and one in Kangaroo Flat, a suburb of Bendigo, 150km northwest of Melbourne, adding another 150 beds to the ASX-listed provider’s portfolio.
  • Estia Health also announced it had entered into a Scheme Implementation Agreement with US-based Bain Capital to acquire 100% of its shares at $3.20 a share, five months after the private equity giant first launched its bid for the ASX-listed provider. Estia Health’s board recommended shareholders accept the offer at a November shareholder meeting.
  • Providers’ previews of their Star Rating were “temporarily paused” by the Department of Health and Aged Care to address “a technical issue”. The preview period was extended by a week.
  • The Aged Care Workforce Industry Council, established by the Federal Government in 2019 to “transform the aged care workforce”, ceased operating. 
  • Melbourne-based aged care provider MiCare announced the appointment of Jos van de Ven to the position of Chairperson, replacing Ignatius Oostermeyer, who was with MiCare for 24 years, including 14 years as Chairperson.
  • The Government released the Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector 2021-22, revealing the residential aged care sector notched up a $2.2 billion loss. Home care providers recorded a profit of $2.78 per care recipient per day in 2021-22, down from a profit of $4.29 in 2020-21 – the first decrease in profitability in five years.
  • Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells said the first data after all residential aged care homes were required to have a Registered Nurse on duty 24/7 showed that 86% of “reported facilities” were meeting the new requirement. 
  • Family-run aged care operator Signature Care told The Weekly SOURCE it has set its sights on achieving 2,200 operational beds by 2026, a doubling of its 1,102 beds at the time.
  • The Chair of scandal-plagued aged care provider, Southern Cross Care Tasmania, Stephen Shirley, resigned, days after the Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, met with the regulator to discuss community concerns about the provider.
  • Legislation bringing the new role of Inspector-General into effect was passed.
  • The Government launched the $7.4 million dedicated Food, Nutrition and Dining Unit hotline at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, allowing consumers to report food concerns.
  • HammondCare opened the new $31 million, 70-place dementia care village at the Repat Health Precinct in Adelaide’s Daw Park, delivered in partnership with the Federal and State Government.
  • Estia Health reported a profit after tax of $38.4 million for the 2023 financial year, compared to a loss of $9.6 million in FY22.
  • Opal HealthCare announced the acquisition of five of Not For Profit Life Care’s aged care homes in Adelaide, marking the ambitious provider’s entry into the South Australian market.
  • The first review of the Department of Health and Aged Care since 2014, which was conducted by former senior public servants Andrew Tongue and Larry Kamener and Infrastructure Deputy Secretary David Hallinan, found the Department was ‘Developing’ in 38 out of 50 maturity categories, and in no categories was it ‘Leading’. “There is lack of capability in integrated policy development addressing the interactions between the various parts of the health and aged care systems,” a report on the review stated.
  • ASX-listed Regis Aged Care reported an EBITDA of $83.3 million for the 2023 financial year, up 6.7% on the previous year. Revenue was $780.6 million, up 7.6% on the prior year, an increase attributed to increased occupied bed days (which hit a record high of 6,521 occupied beds in June 2023), additional Government funding through AN-ACC, and improved resident revenue mainly due to indexation and DAP income.
  • Michele Lewis announced she is stepping down as Chief Executive of the Victorian aged care provider mecwacare, after 17 years with the Not For Profit provider.
  • DCM Group held its LEADERS SUMMIT Masterclass: Strategy and Marketing at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. Over 200 delegates attended, hearing Dr Peter Wilton, who leads the Marketing Strategy in the Digital Age Program in the UC Berkeley MBA program, share his insights into innovation and disruption. 

September

  • The Department of Health and Aged Care’s Quarterly Financial Snapshot for the March 2023 quarter revealed providers on average achieved a net profit before tax thanks to the increase in funding from AN-ACC, which began on 1 October 2022. For Profit and Not For Profit residential aged care providers returned on average a net profit before tax of $0.23 per resident per day in the March quarter, an improvement of $12.89 per resident per day on the September quarter result, when providers lost $27.90 before tax for every resident, every day.
  • The Department of Health and Aged Care released the final report on the development of the draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, which contains four design Principles, each with a set of Guidelines, for environments for older people. The four design principles are: Enable the Person, Cultivate a Home, Access the Outdoors, and Connect with Community.
  • mecwacare announced Anne McCormack (pictured) will take on the role of Chief Executive. Anne has had an extensive career in senior leadership roles in the technology sector, and with home care provider Silver Chain Group and private hospital group Healthscope.
  • Specialist aged care co-operative Apollo Care Alliance told The Weekly SOURCE it was considering taking over the operations of Feros Byron Bay, where 10 residents had refused to move out following the announcement of plans to close and amid strong support from the community to keep the facility open.
  • Family-owned aged care operator TriCare opened its long-anticipated $30 million, four-storey, 126-bed Williams Landing Aged Care Residence, located about 20km southwest of the Melbourne CBD.
  • Senior Constable Kristian White appeared in person in court for the first time.
  • The first sod on was turned on the new $134.6 million public residential aged care facility at the existing Kingston Centre, Cheltenham, 18km southeast of the Melbourne city centre. The 150-bed development will replace the former AG Eastwood aged care facility and is expected to be completed in 2025. It will be operated by Monash Health and form part of the Kingston Centre, a community-focused neighbourhood providing integrated health and wellbeing services to older Victorians.
  • The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Sector Performance Report for the June 2023 quarter showed that no aged care homes or home care providers were sanctioned in the three months to 30 June 2023.
  • Property fund manager Baron Vanilla Management acquired the Braemar Aged Care portfolio, consisting of three residential aged care facilities in prized Perth suburbs south of the Swan River, for $25 million. The properties have 20-year leases to family-owned operator, Hall & Prior.
  • The Department of Health and Aged Care increased the Maximum Permissible Interest Rate for residential aged care to 8.15% from 20 September 2023 – the highest the rate has been since 2008.
  • Days out from the 1 October introduction of the Federal Government’s mandatory 200 direct care minute requirement, our back-of-envelope calculations suggest an additional 3,200 RNs would be required to meet the necessary 40 minutes.

October

  • StewartBrown Senior Partner Grant Corderoy (Grant Corderoy) opened the StewartBrown 2023 Aged Care Finance Forum with the statement that the audience could be experiencing the rebirth of the aged care sector and the next five years will be exciting given the improved clarity on the regulatory environment and independent pricing. 
  • The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Sector Performance Report for the June quarter showed that no applications to become a residential aged care provider were approved during the period, and only one application to become a home care provider received the go-ahead. For the entire 2022-23 financial year period, no residential aged care providers were approved.
  • Private residential aged care operator Rockpool announced completed its 150-bed Rockpool Pelican Waters aged care home on the Sunshine Coast, about 70km north of Brisbane. 
  • Aged Care Minister Anika Wells (pictured) announced the COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Grant, which reimbursed providers with the costs of managing outbreaks, would end on 31 December 2023 and from 1 January 2024, a new Aged Care Outbreak Management Supplement will be paid up front to all providers, to contribute to the costs of managing outbreaks. 

November

  • Voluntary Assisted Dying laws took effect in NSW on the 28 January, the last state to implement the laws, but three of the state’s largest religious aged care providers shared with us that they will not provide the services to residents.
  • The Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells’ office confirmed the Aged Care Taskforce’s Final Report – due to be presented to the Government by the end of the year – will be made publicly available in December or January at the latest.
  • A week later, the Minister revealed the Government will increase the AN-ACC price to $253.82 effective 1 December 2023 – a 4.4% increase on the previous AN-ACC price of $243.10. The new funding amounts to $2.194 billion in total and is designed to help residential aged care providers fund the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review decision, which increased the award wage for aged care staff by 5.75% on 1 July this year.

December

  • The Foreign Investment Review Board approved Bain Capital’s takeover of Estia Health. The takeover became legally effective on 6 December, with Estia Health shares suspended from trading on the ASX that day.
  • Minimum, average and maximum wages for aged care RNs, ENs and PCWs were published for the first time in the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Quarterly Financial Snapshot (QFS) for the year to June 2023.
  • Wait times for a Level 1 Home Care Package fell to less than one month for the second consecutive quarter, according to the Home Care Packages Program Data Report for the first quarter 2023-24. But wait times for Level 3 Packages blew out to up to nine months.
  • Australia’s largest Not For Profit aged care provider, Bolton Clarke, announced Tony Crawford will take the reins as Chair of its board after the retirement of long-time Chair Pat McIntosh AM CSC. 
  • Not For Profit Uniting NSW.ACT took on Amaroo Aged Care, a small operator in NSW’s Riverina, about 680km southeast of Sydney. 
  • In the final edition for 2023 of our premium digital magazine SATURDAY, HammondCare CEO Mike Baird shares his pride in the ambition of his daughters, Laura and Cate, to be personal carers.  

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