Conference Program
The ACCPA National Conference program is expertly curated to deliver a rich, diverse experience that covers every aspect of aged care.
With sessions that range from in-depth explorations of industry trends to practical discussions on operational excellence, our program is designed to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the sector.
You’ll engage with cutting-edge topics, gain insights into the latest government reforms, and discover innovative approaches to retirement living and senior housing.
This comprehensive agenda ensures that you walk away with actionable knowledge and strategies to drive success in your organisation.
| Day One - Wednesday 23 October 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Plenary Session 1 | |||
| 9.00am | Conference Opening | Tony Jones, Master of Ceremonies | |
| 9.10am | Welcome to Country | Robert Taylor, Senior Kaurna Man and Cultural Custodian | |
| 9.20am | Welcome Address | Nat Cook MP, South Australian Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well | |
9.30am | Official Opening of Conference | Dr Graeme Blackman AO, Chairman, ACCPA | |
9.40am | The Age of Excellence: A Focus on Human Rights | ||
| 10.25am | Ministerial Address | Hon Anika Wells MP, Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport | |
| 10.40am | Diamond Sponsor Address | Anwar Khalil, CEO Martian Logic | |
| 10.45am | Morning Tea | ||
| Plenary Session 2 | |||
| 11.15am | Diamond Sponsor Address | Amanda Tinner, Director, Visa Executive | |
| 11.20am | Securing the Future: Insights from the Aged Care Taskforce Panel Session This panel session will feature insights from the Aged Care Taskforce, focusing on strategies to secure the future sustainability of the sector. Expert panellists will discuss the findings, key priorities, and proposed recommendations aimed at strengthening financial stability, supporting workforce capacity, and enhancing care quality. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the critical issues facing aged care and explore the strategic pathways needed to ensure a resilient and thriving future. | Facilitator: Tony Jones Grant Corderoy, Senior Partner, Stewart Brown Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA Mary Patetsos AM, Member, Aged Care Taskforce Michael Lye, Deputy Secretary for Ageing and Aged Care, Department of Health and Aged Care | |
| 12.20pm | Platinum Sponsor Address | Will Egan, CEO, Ausmed | |
| 12:25pm | Lunch Break | ||
Concurrent Sessions A | |||
| A1 - Financial Sustainability | |||
| 2.00pm | Structural Trends in Ageing and Aged Care | Tim Hicks, Executive General Manager, Policy And Advocacy, Bolton Clarke | |
| 2.30pm | Taking the Mystery out of Financial Sustainability | Jill Davidson, Director/CEO, Health Planning Asia Pacific | |
| 3.00pm | Enhancing Financial Sustainability and Long-Term Viability in Seniors Living organisations | Anthony Hamawi, National Manager of Seniors Living & Nfps, Perpetual Limited | |
A2 - Home Care Service Sustainability | |||
| 2.00pm | Future-Proofing Home Care: Top 10 Strategies for Success | Jennene Buckley, Director, Enkindle Consulting | |
| 2.30pm | How to use Home Care Pricing Data to your advantage | Bruce Bailey, Partner, Pride Aged Living | |
| 3.00pm | Redesigning your Home Care Model of Care for the Future | Lorraine Poulos, Managing Director, Lorraine Poulos & Associates (LPA) | |
| A3 – Cultural Care and Diversity | |||
| 2.00pm | Empowering Multicultural Ageing: Co-Designing Solutions for Diverse Older Populations | Marijana Andonovski, CEO, Macedonian Community Welfare Association Ltd Manager of The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing | |
| 2.30pm | Steps to Encourage a Culturally Diverse Aged Care Workforce | Femada Shamam, CEO, TAFTA | |
| 3.00pm | Building Capacity for Working with Diverse Communities | Nicky Bath, CEO, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia | |
| A4 - Governing for Risk | |||
| 2.00pm | Harnessing the Power of Risk Practices in Aged Care | Susan Staples, Director, KPMG | |
| 2.30pm | The Emerging Public Liability Insurance Claims Dilemma Facing Aged Care | Kim Gilbert, Client Director, Health & Community Services, Lockton Australia Lyle Steffensen, Manager – Industry Strategy and Innovation (Health and Community Services), Lockton | |
| 3.00pm | Enhancing Clinical Governance through Improved Risk Management for Ageing Clients | Alison Keleher, Executive Manager People, Quality and Risk, The District Nurses | |
| A5 – Dementia Care and Support | |||
| 2.00pm | Understanding the Complexity: Implementation of Person-Centred Strategies to Address Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Delirium in TCP | Liz Dalla Santa, Director Clinical Operations, Monash Health | |
| 2.30pm | Engagement is Everyone's Business | Natalie White, Facilitator, Dementia Australia Linda Kearton, Residential Services Manager, St Vincent's Care | |
| 3.00pm | How Does the Current Approach to Reablement for Community-Dwelling People Living with Dementia Align with the Evidence? Practitioner-Led Practice-Change Targets | Dr Claire O'Connor, Senior Research Fellow, University of New South Wales | |
| A6 - Leadership in Aged Care | |||
| 2.00pm | Igniting Purpose in Aged Care Leadership | Karen Ansen, Principal Lawyer & Director, Ignite Hr & Employment Law | |
| 2.30pm | Piloting Transformation: Exploring New Frontiers in Leadership for Aged Care | Jason Hunt, Partner, Executive Quarter | |
| 3.00pm | Preparing for the Future: Succession Planning and Leadership Diversity in Aged Care | Cynthia Payne, Managing Director, Anchor Excellence | |
| A7 – Innovation and Technology | |||
| 2.00pm | Digitalisation of the Finance Function in Aged Care | Damon Hauenstein, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Weel | |
| 2.30pm | Invasion of the Body Snatchers: The Insidious Insider | Mazino Onibere, Head Of Cyber Security, Risk And Compliance, Regis Aged Care | |
| 3:00pm | Addressing the Usability Gap for Older Australians: A Digital Solution for Industry and Consumer Needs | Julianne Parkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Global Centre for Modern Ageing | |
| A8 - Research and Data | |||
| 2:00pm | Evidence-Based Pricing Advice for Residential Aged Care | Rachel Hauenschild, Acting Director, Aged Care Pricing, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority | |
| 2:30pm | Big Data Insights: Improving Data Quality in the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program | David Sanders, Chief Operating Officer, MOA Benchmarking | |
| 3:00pm | Data and Digital Transformation | Emma Cooke, Assistant Secretary Digital Reform, Department of Health and Aged Care Faye Flevaras, First Assistant Secretary Digital Transformation & Delivery, Department of Health and Aged Care | |
| 3.30pm | Afternoon Tea | ||
| Plenary Session 3 | |||
| 4.00pm | Platinum Sponsor Address | Simon Lockyer, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, The Lookout Way | |
| 4.05pm | Global Perspectives: Aged Care Insights from International Leaders | Facilitator: Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA | |
| 4.55pm | Welcome Reception Sponsor Address | Tom Enright, National Manager for Health, Foxtel | |
| 5.00pm | Welcome Reception | ||
| Day Two - Thursday 24 October 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Plenary Session 4 | ||
| 9.00am | Welcome to Day Two | Tony Jones, Master of Ceremonies |
| 9.05am | ACCPA CEO Address | Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA |
| 9.45am | Inspiring Excellence: The Role of Outdoor Spaces in Well-being and Care
Join Jamie Durie, award winning landscape designer, to explore how innovative garden design can profoundly impact well-being and care within aged care settings. Discover how thoughtfully crafted outdoor spaces can enhance physical and mental health, foster social interaction, and create uplifting environments. | |
| 10.25am | Platinum Sponsor Address | Brian Mangano, Manager Director, Swift |
| 10.30am | Morning Tea | |
| Concurrent Session B | ||
| B1 – Mergers and Acquisitions | ||
| 11.00am | Acquisition vs. Organic Growth: How to Scale Smartly | Selina Gerner, Partner, McgrathNicol |
| 11.30am | Is Bigger Better? Economies of Scale in Residential Aged Care. | Jin Sug Yang, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney |
| 12.00pm | Grow or Go (Mergers and Acquisitions in Aged Care) | Amber Cartwright, Senior Director, Ansell Strategic |
| B2 – Home Care Models | ||
| 11.00am | Business Model Disruption in Home Care: Navigating Governance, Management, and Compliance in the Age of Excellence | Cynthia Payne, Managing Director, Anchor Excellence |
| 11.30am | Welcome to the Neighbourhood – How BlueCare Redesigned and Transformed Itself to Deliver Home Care Across Queensland | Maria McLaughlin-Rolfe, Group General Manager, BlueCare | Community, BlueCare |
| 12.00pm | Exploring Home Care Under a Franchise Model - the Legal Perspective and the Franchisor's Perspective | Julie McStay, Partner, Thomson Geer |
| B3 – Global Insights | ||
| 11.00am | Lessons Learned from International Markets | Judy Martin, Executive Lead International & Specialist Advisor, Anchor Excellence Sam Evison Manger People and Culture Harbison |
| 11.30am | Global Inspirations: Enhancing Australian Aged Care Services with International Insights | Peter Williams, CEO, OneCare Ltd |
| 12.00pm | Connecting Care: Delivering Excellence in Rural and Remote Regions Globally | Speaker Invited |
| B4 - Strategic Governance | ||
| 11.00am | Organisational, Clinical and Cultural Governance – Taking an Amalgamated Approach and Witnessing Governance in Action | Nicole Tate, Regional Manager, Nursing And Clinical Governance, Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (ARRCS) |
| 11.30am | Governance in Times of Uncertainty: A Practical Guide to Being Decisive (Without Knowing all the Rules) | Stephen Rooke, Principal Consultant, G5 Strategic Pty Ltd |
| B5 - Emerging Leaders | ||
| 11.00am | Leading Teams Through Change: A Young Leaders Journey Building a Successful Allied Health Business | Simon Kerrigan, Managing Director, Guide Healthcare |
| 11.30am | The Accidental Leader - Supporting Those Stepping up and “Filling in” Elevating your Leaders When They Might not be Ready! | Carla Beheram, Chief Operating Officer, Anchor Excellence |
| 12.00pm | Clinical Facilitators as Leaders: Shaping the Future of Aged Care through Mentorship | Kathryn Twigg, Clinical Lead, APNA |
| B6 – Planning the Workforce for the Future | ||
| 11.00am | A Data-Driven Approach to Revolutionising Workforce Planning in Aged Care | Andrea Sulda, HR Consultant, Above & Beyond Group |
| 11.30am | Strategic Long-Term Workforce Planning: Implementing Short-Term Actionable Plans to Achieve Organisational Stability in Aged Care | Todd Yourell, Chief Executive Officer, St Andrew's Village Ballina |
| 12.00pm | Storytelling in Aged Care: The Human Element in Workforce Attraction and Retention | Anthony Nguyen, Manager - Aged Care Recruitment, Mars Recruitment |
| B7 – Strategic Innovation | ||
| 11.00am | Are you a Henry or a Steve? Choosing Innovation as well as Embracing Sectoral Change | Richard de Haast, Chief Executive, Scalabrini Villages |
| 11.30am | Strategic Innovation in Aged Care Unlock your creative genius to reshape your organisation and the sector | Paul Hawkins, Chief Combobulator, Crazy Might Work |
| B8 – New Aged Care Quality Standards | ||
| 11.00am | New Aged Care Quality Standards Panel Discussion | Amanda Allen, Head of Services, ACCPA Filomena Ciavarella, Executive General Manager, Strategy, Quality And Improvement, Regis Aged Care |
| 11.45am | Standard 6 – Food and Nutrition Panel Session | Facilitator: Amanda Allen, Head of Services, ACCPA Julie Dundon, Managing Director, Nutrition Professionals Australia Samantha Murray, Director, Food Solutions Diet Consultants Dr Cherie Hugo, Founder, Lantern Alliance |
| 12.30pm | Lunch Break | |
| Fishbowl Conversations | ||
| 2.00pm | C1 – Cultural Immersion Workshop | |
| 2.00pm | C2 – Deep Dive: the Journey Towards an Aged Care Act | |
| 2.00pm | C3 – Migration and Workforce | |
| 2.00pm | C4 – The Bed-Block Challenge | |
| 2.00pm | C5 – Support @ Home | |
| C6 - Investing in You: Building Networks and Personal Well-being | ||
| 2.00pm | Building an Impactful Personal Network | Karen Tisdell, LinkedIn Profile Writer & Trainer |
| 2.30pm | My story: Prioritizing your personal safety when travelling for work | Leonie Mulheran, Corporate Accounts Manager – Residential Aged Care, Rauland Australia |
| 2:00pm | C7- Unlocking the Myths and Opportunities of AI | |
| 3.00pm | Afternoon Tea | |
| Plenary Session 5 | ||
| 3.30pm | Platinum Sponsor address | Annette Hili, General Manager ANZ, AlayaCare |
| 3.35pm | Navigating Workforce Challenges: Insights and Solutions for Aged Care | Facilitator: Tony Jones, MC Emma King OAM, Chief Executive Officer, HumanAbility Melinda Cilento, Chief Executive, CEDA |
| 4.35pm | Networking Drinks Sponsor address | Janice Chia Hui Chen, Founder & Managing Director, Ageing Asia, Singapore |
| 4.40pm | Speed Networking This dynamic speed networking session offers a fast-paced and efficient way to connect with fellow professionals. Participants will engage in a series of brief, structured interactions, allowing for quick introductions, idea exchanges, and potential collaborations. Whether you’re looking to expand your network, find new partners, or explore opportunities, this session provides a valuable platform for making impactful connections in a short amount of time. | |
| 5.00pm | Networking Drinks | |
| Day Three - Friday 25 October 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
Strategic Spotlight on Retirement Living and Seniors Housing | ||
| 8.30am | Opening & Welcome | Mark Prosser, Director Retirement Living & Seniors Housing, ACCPA |
| 8.35am | Strategic Spotlight on Retirement Living and Seniors Housing | Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA |
| 8.50am | State of the Nation | Chris Baynes, CEO, DCM Group |
| 9.20am | The Canadian perspective on Senior Housing and Home Care | Cathy Hecimovich, CEO, Ontario Retirement Communities Association |
| 10.05am | Retirement Living Industry Benchmarking Survey | Stuart Hutcheon, Managing Partner, StewartBrown |
| Plenary Session 6 | ||
| 8.40am | Welcome to Day Three | Tony Jones, Master of Ceremonies |
| 8.45am | Platinum Sponsor Address | |
| 8.50am | Striving for Excellence: The Opposition’s Vision for Aged Care Transformation | Senator the Hon Anne Ruston |
| 9.00am | Age of Excellence: A Conversation on Quality in Aged Care | Facilitator: Tony Jones, MC |
| 9.45am | Navigating the New Aged Care Act: Implications and Opportunities | Facilitator: Tony Jones, MC Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA Victor Harcourt, Principal, Russell Kennedy Andrea Kelly, Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner Craig Gear OAM, CEO, OPAN Daniel Parsons, Director Public Affairs, Bupa |
| 10.30am | Morning Tea | |
Concurrent Sessions D | ||
| D1 – Assessment of Financial Housing Models | ||
| 11.00am | Financial Analysis of Developing a Retirement Village v’s an Aged Care Facility | Cameron Kirby, Director, Chanje Partners |
| 11.30am | Small Household Model of Care – Contemporary Practice Research and Practice | Darrell Price, National Head of Health & Aged Care, Grant Thornton |
| 12.00pm | Small Household Model of Care – A provider’s view | Darrell Price, National Head Of Health & Aged Care, Grant Thornton |
| D2 - Regional, Rural and Remote Business Strategies | ||
| 11.00am | Overcoming Challenges: The Hardships of Small Independent Aged Care Providers in Regional Areas | Todd Yourell, Chief Executive Officer, St Andrew's Village Ballina |
| 11.30am | An Innovative Approach to Overcoming the Complexities of Community Service Access for regional older Australians. | Cherylee Treloar, CEO, Footprints Community Limited |
| 12.00pm | A Compelling Case Study on Innovative Turnaround Strategies in Rural Services, Offering Insights that Inspire and Impact the Broader Sector. | John Moore, Director and Principal Consultant, Aged Care Advisory Service |
| D3 – Community and Allied Health | ||
| 11.00am | Revitalising Allied Health Services in Aged Care: Implementing a Multidisciplinary Model for Comprehensive, Quality Care | Christina Wyatt, Professional Practice Advisor - Aged Care, Occupational Therapy Australia |
| 11.30am | Unlocking Lives Through Access to Transport: The Importance of Sustainable Mobility. | Murray Coates, CEO, Australian Community Transport Association Limited |
| 12.00pm | What is the untapped potential of Community Health Services in Aged Care? | Paul Ostrowski, CEO, Latrobe Community Health Service |
| D4 – Board Composition – Getting it Right | ||
| 11.00am | Configuring your Governing Body for its Strategic Leadership Role. | Aaron Goldsworthy, Senior Consultant, Australian Strategic Services |
| 11.30am | The Raw Reality: the Undoing of Rural Health Services | Andrew Douglas, Chair, Non Executive Director, Clifton Community Health Services |
| 12.00pm | Consumer Advisory Groups - Inspiring Consumer Centricity Across an Organisation. | Kate Flight, Manager of Service Development and Co-ordination, Baptcare |
| D5 – Palliative Care Excellence | ||
| 11.00am | Best Practice: National Palliative Care Standards to Guide Palliative Care Delivery in Aged Care Services. | Chelsea Menchin, National Projects Manager, Palliative Care Australia |
| 11.30am | Palliative Care Connect: Palliative Care Navigation for Aboriginal People in Regional South Australia | Kate Swetenham, Director of Nursing, End of Life Care, SA Health |
| 12.00pm | Palliative Care in the Age of Excellence: Honouring Choice and Dignity | Speaker Invited |
| D6 - Workforce Retention | ||
| 11.00am | Tackling Turnover: Key Strategies for Aged Care Providers | Natasha Edwards, Aged Care and Workforce Strategist, Enkindle Consulting |
| 11.30am | Creating an Upward Spiral of Staff Satisfaction and Care Quality - Together! | Dr Cathy Balding, Board Facilitator, Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance |
| 12.00pm | Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First! Embrace Resilience, Avoid Burnout, and Don’t Break Yourself, Your Workforce, or Your Organisation. | James Langanke, Co-Founder, Fire Up Solutions |
| D7 - Innovation – Enhancing Care Delivery | ||
| 11.00am | Case Study: Co-designing the Next Generation of Care at Home | Sue Cooke, CEO, Anglicare Southern Queensland Adam Jahnke, CEO, Umps Health |
| 11.30am | Technology with Heart - Deploying AI in a People-First Organisation | Daniel Pettman, Chief Digital Information Officer, Baptistcare (NSW, ACT & WA) |
| 12.00pm | Abi the Robot is Bringing Companionship, Connection & Joy to People | Jacinta Jarutis, Group Wellbeing & Community, Medical & Aged Care Group Grace Brown, Cofounder & Robotics Engineer, Andromeda Robotics |
| D8 – Strategic Spotlight on Retirement Living and Seniors Housing | ||
| 11.00am | Retirement Living Delivers a Quality-of-Life Boost | Kevin McCreton, Owner, Catalyst Research |
| 11.30am | Customer and Operator Benefits of Independent Retirement Living Co-Located with Residential Care | Stuart Nicolson, Director, One Fell Swoop |
| 12.00pm | Fireside Chat – Why is this Model the Way People are Moving? | Daniel Aitchison, CEO Palm Lake Care, Mark Prosser, Director Retirement Living & Seniors Housing, ACCPA |
| 12.30pm | Lunch | |
| Plenary Session 7 | ||
| 2.00pm | From Building Trust to Creating Confidence in Aged Care In this session, we continue the conversation from last year’s conference, focusing on how the sector can move beyond establishing trust to fostering lasting confidence among clients, families, providers and stakeholders. Panellists will discuss the progress made, key challenges faced, and innovative strategies that are being implemented to ensure we continue to deliver consistently high-quality, transparent, and reliable services. | Facilitator: Sue Peden AM, Chair ACCPA Consumer Advisory Board and Independent Director, ACCPA |
| 2.45pm | The Aged Care Act: Where consumer rights differ to human rights | Facilitator: Tony Jones, Master of Ceremonies Robert Fitzgerald AM, Age Discrimination Commissioner Tim Humphries, CEO, Homestyle Aged Care Services Victor Harcourt, Principal, Russell Kennedy |
| Strategic Spotlight on Retirement Living and Seniors Housing | ||
| 2.00pm | Development and Re-Development – Carbon and the Reporting Obligations | Drew Beswick, CEO, RESolutionsWon |
| 2.30pm | Panel Session: Investing Certainty or Uncertainty Retirement Living V Residential Care | Darrell Price, National Head of Health & Aged Care, Grant Thornton Matthew Hutchinson, Senior Executive Integrated Living, Peddle Thorp Julie McStay Partner, Thomson Geer Wayne Jobson State Director, ANZ Banking Group Limited |
3.15pm | Strategic Spotlight on Retirement Living and Seniors Housing Close | Mark Prosser, Director Retirement Living & Seniors Housing, ACCPA |
| 3.30pm | Backing Yourself, Resilience and What 25 Years in Journalism Has Taught Me About Life | |
| 4.15pm | Conference Close | Tony Jones, Master of Ceremonies |
| 6.30pm | Conference Dinner | |
ACCPA reserves the right to alter the program at their discretion, typically to address unforeseen circumstances. This flexibility ensures that the event can proceed smoothly while maintaining the best possible experience for attendees.