HelloLeaders

Leadership isn't only about knowing how to lead. Sometimes it's about knowing when to step aside.

A recent board transition at Southern Cross Care Queensland sparked a much bigger conversation than who was leaving or arriving at the table.

What does good succession actually look like in aged care?

For organisations caring for some of Australia's most vulnerable people, governance is about far more than compliance or financial performance. It's about stewardship, purpose and ensuring the organisation is stronger for the next generation of leaders.

Read about it here 👇

What it means to leave an aged care organisation well | Hello Leaders AUS Board changes at Southern Cross Care Queensland offer a timely reminder that succession is about more than governance. In a sector built on purpose and stewardship, knowing when to hand leadership to others may be one of a board’s most important responsibilities.

Showering is a significant fall risk for older people, says ACH Group CEO Linda Feldt. Without help, some avoid it altogether.

Some older South Australians had delayed or declined personal care because of cost.

From 1 October, eligible Support at Home customers no longer pay out-of-pocket costs for personal care, including help with showering, dressing and medication.

The next question is whether services can keep up with demand.

Read about it here 👉

Free personal care raises a capacity question for boards | Hello Leaders AUS Personal care is now free at the point of use for eligible Support at Home customers. One provider says cost kept people from asking. Boards now need to know whether their workforce can answer.

Imagine your prices go up and nobody asks you first.

A regulator review of 25 higher-risk Support at Home providers found only four were fully compliant.

One provider is now under formal investigation. The Commission found evidence it may have charged for care management twice and changed prices without agreement.

The rules are clear: older people must know what they're paying and why.

Read about it here 👉

Support at Home provider under investigation over pricing | Hello Leaders AUS A Commission review of 25 higher-risk Support at Home providers found only four fully compliant. One now faces formal investigation over pricing practices, and boards that treat pricing as an operational detail should take note.

More money is going into retirement villages, but what happens when residents need more care?

We spoke with Levande about how the operator is adapting its villages, helping residents access support and working with aged care providers when people’s needs change.

It’s an important conversation as more Australians move into retirement living later in life and stay for longer.

Read more here 👇

Retirement village capital investment meets the challenge of changing care needs | Hello Leaders AUS Billions in financing are supporting Australia’s retirement living sector via sustainability linked loans (SLLs). But as residents move in later and stay longer, operators must plan for changing care needs while relying on services beyond their villages to deliver additional support.

We've been asking the wrong questions about respite.

For years, respite has been seen as a way to give carers a break.
Important? Absolutely.

But what if it's also one of the most cost-effective investments Australia's aged care system could make?

Speaking with Dementia Australia and Carers Australia following their joint statement for a respite review, one message came through clearly: when carers can't access timely, affordable respite, the costs don't disappear.

They pop up somewhere else.

These national organisations are now calling for an independent review to better understand where demand exists and what reform is needed.

It's a conversation about carers. But it's also a conversation about how Australia plans for an ageing population.

Read the full story 👇

The hidden cost of respite: Why Australia’s cheapest aged care investment may save the most money | Hello Leaders AUS Respite has long been viewed as a support for carers. A joint statement from Dementia Australia and Carers Australia says it’s something much bigger: preventative infrastructure that keeps older Australians at home, reduces hospital demand and delays residential aged care. The real cost will be co...

Building your own software used to need a team of developers and a big budget. With AI, one person can now build a working tool over a weekend.

So should aged care providers start building their own?

Sonja Bernhardt OAM says it's worth considering, but the first version is the cheap bit. The real cost sits elsewhere: keeping it secure, protecting resident information, and fixing it when it breaks at 2am.

She also has a warning for software vendors. Being around a long time won't be enough anymore.

Read about it here 👉

Your in-house AI-built care app fails at 2am. Who fixes it? | Hello Leaders AUS When a home-grown AI tool fails on the night shift, someone has to fix it. Sonja Bernhardt OAM asks aged care leaders who carries that responsibility once the prototype goes live, and why software vendors must rethink what they sell.

A grandmother waiting for someone to talk to. A father who can't get the home care he was promised. This is what Australia's aged care crisis looks like up close – and it's only getting harder as the workforce shortage bites.

Read Michael Foenander’s take on what's broken, and what could actually fix it in 2026 👇

Stuck in hospital, waiting at home: the reform gap | Hello Leaders AUS 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.

Eligible for care, can't afford it.

A First Nations older person in rural NSW has been assessed as needing high-level Support at Home care, but the co-contributions put it out of reach.

Uniting NSW.ACT shared their story at the Senate inquiry this week, with a clear message: rights on paper mean little if older people can't get the care they need.

Read about it here 👉

Rationed care isn’t rights-based care, Uniting NSW.ACT tells Senate | Hello Leaders AUS 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.

Emotional connection in dementia care can't be squeezed into a roster with no room for it.

Whiddon's RBC Enrich pilot builds daily one-on-one time into how its memory support homes run. Staff say the change in residents was almost immediate.

Read about it here 👉

Time over tasks: inside Whiddon’s dementia care pilot | Hello Leaders AUS 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.

What can HELF teach us about leadership?

The latest changes to Higher Everyday Living Fees have sparked plenty of debate across the aged care sector.

After speaking with aged care consultant Paul Sadler, it became clear that the bigger story isn't simply about a particular fee.

It's about how providers govern through constant reform, respond when guidance changes, balance financial sustainability with resident expectations and make decisions that reflect the communities they serve.

It's a thoughtful reminder that good governance is rarely about getting every decision right the first time. More often, it's about recognising when it's time to revisit yesterday's decisions with today's information.

Read the full article here 👇

Beyond HELF: What boards should learn from aged care’s latest policy reset | Hello Leaders AUS The latest HELF rule changes have prompted providers to review charging arrangements, but the bigger lesson extends well beyond one fee. Paul Sadler argues that governance during reform requires continual review, local judgement and the willingness to revisit decisions made in good faith.