Our annual end-of-year Q&A series offers leaders and influencers in aged care the chance to share their views and expectations for the year ahead. Submissions can be sent to news@insideageing.com.au
What were your highlights in 2024?
This year has been truly enjoyable, despite its fair share of challenges—yet, all of them have been good challenges. I’ve had several highlights, both in my professional and voluntary roles.
As Chair of the National Aged and Community Care Roundtable for Forgotten Australians, a significant moment was the recent announcement that Redress payments would be exempt from aged care asset testing. This was a remarkable outcome after many years of advocacy, direct engagement with key decision-makers, and collaboration with legislative drafters. It marks an important achievement for many older Forgotten Australians who were previously having their redress payments effectively deducted to cover aged care costs.
The National Redress payment aims to acknowledge the trauma caused by institutional child sexual abuse and related abuse. Many survivors, now aging or suffering from premature aging due to the neglect and trauma they endured as children, will benefit from this change.
With this new amendment, Redress payments will be effectively shielded from asset testing for individuals entering residential or home care packages. I’d like to express my gratitude to the members of the National Roundtable from across the country, as well as to Knowmore Legal Service, and key politicians and department personnel, all of whom have worked relentlessly to bring this change to fruition.
On the professional front, I have again had the privilege of working on several international projects and events. A few standout moments include my participation in the International Summit on the Use of Information Technology in the Care of Older Adults (IS-ITCOP) in New York. This summit brought together world-renowned researchers and practitioners from various countries. As a result of this gathering, a significant body of work is progressing, with numerous new projects already underway and more announcements expected in the new year.
Additionally, I was appointed International Convenor for the development of a global standard to enhance the safety and usability of smart home environments for older people. This initiative is a collaboration between the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), bringing together experts worldwide to address this crucial issue.
This year also offered me the opportunity to complete long-term studies at Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I am deeply grateful for the chance to learn from some of the world’s leading academics in the application of innovative solutions.
However, the true highlight of this year has been the continued opportunity to work with such talented and skilled individuals and teams, both here and internationally. I am incredibly honoured to be part of these collaborative endeavours.
What are you looking forward to in 2025?
I already have a busy agenda for 2025, with significant time planned overseas working on a variety of projects. My travels will take me to the UK, Europe, the US, and several Asian countries. Later in the year, I am also looking forward to a reunion of sorts with many colleagues from an international study tour on technology and innovation that we undertook about 15 years ago.
Despite the ongoing collaboration between many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a reunion on our 10-year anniversary in 2020, so we are finally able to come together, five years later.
I also have the privilege of collaborating with a diverse group of international colleagues on three upcoming books. These publications will require significant focus in the first half of the year. In addition, I am honoured to be working with outstanding project management professionals and teams both locally and internationally on collaborative research initiatives, particularly in the fields of AI, smart homes, and robotics.
What books will you be reading over the summer holiday break?
There’s quite a stack waiting for me! These books have been accumulating throughout the year, as my formal studies have taken up much of my reading time.
The pile includes a mix of academic texts as well as works of fiction and creative subjects. I’m particularly excited to read The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, finish Dr Adele Chynoweth’s book on Goodna Girls, and explore Value Creation, a recent publication by the esteemed Professor Massimo Massa and his colleagues. I had the privilege of studying under Professor Massa at INSEAD Business School, so I am eager to dive into this book.
Our end-of-year Q&A series is supported by Altura Learning, dedicated to helping Australian aged care providers enhance workforce skills and drive business growth.
