Groups and forums
Empowering and representing members is our priority
Ageing Australia is committed to advocating for, and providing support to, the aged care sector.
Our member councils, groups and forums have been established to:
- provide avenues through which sophisticated and comprehensive advice and guidance is delivered to its members
- provide mediums through which Ageing Australia will seek input and feedback on sector changes, policy and information
- provide forums which facilitate members to actively contribute to and test proposals and advocacy stances
- contribute to valued member services from both a national and state perspective
- provide opportunities for peer-to-peer networking, ideas exchange and support.
Ageing Australia state member councils
The Ageing Australia State Member Councils (SMCs) consist of elected member representatives who provide feedback to our executive leadership team on important issues.
This is a critical mechanism that ensures all members are represented and valued, regardless of their organisational size, structure, location, or service offering. Elections take place annually for up to five positions on each SMC.
The SMCs meet regularly to discuss issues that are of most importance at both a state and national level, ensuring currency of information across the country.
Ageing Australia member forums
Ageing Australia offers national member forums for each service type or topic.
Forums include:
- residential care
- home and community care
- retirement living and seniors housing
- member engagement and advocacy.
Online Community and Resource Engagement (CaRE) groups
Ageing Australia members can also join specific online community groups to explore sector information, participate in peer-to-peer community conversations and connect with fellow members.
CaRE is an exclusive member benefit and is separate from our member councils, groups and forums. All members have access to CaRE as part of their Ageing Australia membership.
Ageing Australia policy feedback groups
These policy feedback groups are open to members and associates.
The purpose of these groups is to help inform our policy and advocacy provide sector intelligence and deliver advice to Ageing Australia on specific topics. This may include providing feedback to inform our submissions, identifying emerging issues affecting the sector, or to share lived experiences.
| Policy feedback groups | Discussion topics | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Chief finance officers | Funding and finance related functions, including residential and home and community care reform, COVID-19 payments, supplements, auditing, financial governance and prudential. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Data and digital | Digital health, sector data, digital transformation (including transition). | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Dementia care | Restrictive practices, including chemical restraint, non-pharmacological therapy, incident management, dementia-friendly design. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| General | Range of topics that are outside the scope of another policy feedback group. Topics may include (but not necessarily be limited to) disability interface, health interface and specialisations such as First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTI, Veterans, homelessness among others. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Home and community care | Support at home reform, Commonwealth Home Support Programme, assessment, home modifications and equipment, access, Services Australia issues relating to home care. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Regional, rural and remote | Issues specific to service delivery and operation in regional, rural and remote areas (MMM 2-7). | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Regulatory design and implementation | New Aged Care Act, penalties, enforcement practices, complaint handing, governance rules. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Residential care | Assessment, funding of care, hotel services and accommodation, financial reporting, prudential management, Services Australia, Star Ratings, Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC), workforce responsibilities, National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Retirement living and seniors housing | Asset management, new Aged Care Act and impacts on retirement villages and seniors housing, State legislative updates, workforce development, adoption of best practice, addressing the increasing demand for retirement living options, creating environments that promote continuum of care, discussion of new and innovative care models (i.e. assisted living apartments). | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
