Topic - Opinion

Reaping what we sow: No aged care beds. Now what? Time for Plan T

Australia’s aged care sector is in crisis – and no one should be surprised. After years of underbuilding, we’re now paying the price. Our analysis of GEN Aged Care Data shows that between 2020-21 and 2023-24, South Australia added just 253...

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Lauren Broomham

19 Jun 2025

Opinion

It took a 28-year-old to reboot the retirement living sector – at speed

Adrian Puljich was 28 years of age when he conceived GemLife and then convinced Singapore diversified investment business Thakral Corporation to commit 50% of funds to create the business. Nine years later it is valued at $1.58 billion. How did he...

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Chris Baynes

16 Jun 2025

Aged Care

Plan T: urgent ‘transformation’ needed to future-proof aged care for residents and operators

With aged care home occupancy over 95%, 85,000-plus on home care wait lists, and thousands stuck in hospitals, Australia’s aged care system is already operating beyond capacity – and facing a demographic tidal wave.

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Chris Baynes

12 Jun 2025

Chris Baynes

Plan T: Transformation – an action plan for positive change in the aged care system is required

The aged care system is bogged down from years of rules and regulations piling on top of each other to the point where it is now grossly inefficient and failing to deliver optimum care equally across the country.

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Chris Baynes

12 Jun 2025

Opinion

War of words threatens every retirement village with a big financial hit

The council for a tourist city in Queensland, which has seven retirement villages, shows no care for residents as it creates new rules that will cost $60+ million p.a. nationally. The Retirement Living Council has been on the residents’ side in an...

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Ian Horswill

10 Jun 2025

Opinion

Why the delayed Aged Care Act is a double-edged sword

Just 17 business days out from its long-awaited start, the Federal Government has delayed the new Aged Care Act – again. It’s the third time the legislation has been pushed back, and while the pause has been welcomed by peak bodies and providers, make no mistake: this delay comes at a cost.

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Lauren Broomham

05 Jun 2025

Opinion

Will AI be the workforce saviour for delivering home care into retirement villages?

It is our 100th edition, and we are looking forward at what is known to be coming and what the leading thinkers say is required across retirement living, home care and residential care to deliver best client outcomes, a positive bottom line and...

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Chris Baynes

02 Jun 2025

Opinion

Home care hellscape: why the wait list should be the new Minister’s first priority

On paper, Australia’s home care system is expanding. Another 107,000 Home Care Packages are set to be rolled out from 1 July. But for many older Australians, that help will come too late – if it comes at all. As we report in this issue, average...

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Lauren Broomham

29 May 2025

Opinion

Scape - the disruptor that will turn the retirement living sector on its head

“As we think about senior housing, that sector in itself is too fragmented and it needs a bit of leadership from someone to kind of disrupt,” Stephen Gaitanos, co-founder, Managing Director and Group CEO of Scape Australia told Mingtiandi’s...

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Ian Horswill

27 May 2025

Opinion

Fix it or fail: Australia’s health system can’t last another five years

Last week, I was fascinated by the Fin Review’s latest ‘Lunch with the AFR’ interview with Chris Blake, CEO of St Vincent’s Health Australia. His prediction? Australian hospitals, in their current form, have only about five years left to survive – and the aged care sector may face collapse even sooner.

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Lauren Broomham

22 May 2025

Opinion

No, Prime Minister: aged care isn’t ‘fixed’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his new Cabinet this week – and aged care has been relegated to the outer Ministry. Is this a signal that the Labor Government believes aged care is no longer a problem?

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Lauren Broomham

15 May 2025

Opinion

Coalition’s pledge to cut home care wait list to zero is too little, too late

With just days until polling day, aged care has finally entered the political spotlight, with Shadow Minister for Aged Care Anne Ruston pledging a Coalition Government would cut home care wait times to zero, but making no commitment to release more Home Care Packages.

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Lauren Broomham

01 May 2025

Opinion

Aged care isn’t fixed – so why are we not talking about it?

If you tuned into yesterday’s National Press Club debate between Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, and Shadow Minister, Anne Ruston, hoping for a meaningful discussion on aged care – you would have been sorely disappointed.

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Lauren Broomham

24 Apr 2025