Navigating aged care changes won’t be easy, but we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture

For the past 16 years, I have proudly served as Benetas CEO, guiding processes that help residents, clients and employees through societal changes both relevant and irrelevant to the aged care sector.

Outside the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s nothing I’ve encountered that will be as impactful as the changes that will come into effect under the new Aged Care Act on 1 July.

We, as an aged care sector, are on the precipice of reforms that will empower seniors and provide much-needed funding for the sector so it can continue to deliver quality care for older Australians.

The new Act is an important and necessary step, but these once-in-a-generation reforms are also generating some uncertainty across the sector.

While providing quality aged care in an unpredictable environment has been our north star as a sector, we’ve had to prepare and plan for eventualities we might not have considered in the past.

To combat this, aged care CEOs will play a central role. We will be expected to lead authentically, acknowledging that not having all the answers can be unsettling as we define the way forward for our organisation.

CEOs will be responsible for ensuring their respective boards are across all detail and are comfortable with the way the organisation is approaching aspects of the Act.

They will also need to ensure there is no confusion and second guessing by their executives and senior leaders who will be charged with hitting “go” on agreed-upon strategies.

To be clear, the CEO sets the tone from both a macro level with an eye on the bigger picture, as well as how the everyday operations should function.

I have been focussed on creating an environment of trust, honesty and emphasising strengths while providing a safe environment for making mistakes.

Navigating and implementing these changes will take a team effort and while it may sound cliché, it’s important for all of us to remember and communicate that we’re all in this together.

To do this, we are shifting the narrative from what we don’t know, to how we can best plan, predict, adapt and course correct as more details emerge ahead of implementation.

This means establishing a calm, positive, realistic and transparent approach through regular check-ins with our team while supporting our people to focus on the end goal.

It means reminding everyone why the changes are necessary and what the benefits will be for our customers, employees and the community years from now.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, we have a simple credo that is guiding us to inspire action and help us stay on track – eating the elephant, one bite at a time. We are breaking each change into smaller, more manageable steps while keeping that macro goal in mind.

We are also leveraging the rich knowledge of our subject matter experts, engaging with them early as we review processes, helping us identify any gaps in expertise, resources and technology.

We are fostering an environment of trust and honesty where people are empowered to contribute, draw on their unique strengths and safely raise concerns. This puts us in the best position to mitigate any issues quickly and efficiently post 1 July.

There will be no precise formula for integrating the reforms. It’s incumbent on leaders within the sector to implement processes that do not disrupt the quality of care.

The introduction of the new Aged Care Act will be both an exciting and challenging period for our sector. Our amazing Benetas employees will remain focussed on the opportunity and benefits for those in our care, their loved ones and our employees.

Sandra Hills OAM
Benetas CEO