Time Well Spent

4,812 older Australians died waiting for the right level of home care last financial year. When Adrian Morgan last joined the podcast, he warned that Support at Home could create serious unintended consequences. Six months on, a lot of those predictions have played out. So what went wrong? In this episode, Adrian Morgan is sitting down with Dane and Rose to talk about what’s happened since the Act...

Most aged care organisations simply talk about dementia. Warrigal decided to formalise it, take it to the board, and make it measurable. Today Dane and Rose sit down with Jenni Hutchings, CEO of Warrigal, to talk about why Warrigal chose to formalise its approach to dementia through a 2030 Dementia Action Plan. The conversation looks at what shifts when dementia is treated as an organisational res...

The last time we had Paul Sadler on the podcast, we spoke about the upcoming reforms to the Support at Home program that were due to go live in November. The reforms are now live and for many older Australians and providers, the reality looks very different to what was promised. We wanted to get Paul back on the show to talk about exactly what has happened after the roll out of the Support at Home...

In this deeply personal episode of Time Well Spent, co-host Rose Plater turns the microphone toward Dane Mitchell to explore the story that quietly shaped his life, values, and leadership in care. At the heart of the conversation is Lola, Dane’s Nan, a woman of deep faith who devoted her life to raising more than 160 children as matron of a Baptist children’s home. Known simply as “Mum” to every c...

Payroll compliance is now one of the biggest risks in aged care. Every provider, even the well-run ones, uncover errors driven by 24/7 rosters, complex Modern Awards and constant legislative change. In this episode, Dane and Rose speak with Siobhain Simpson, Partner at StuartBrown, who has audited hundreds of providers and never completed an audit without finding payroll issues. Siobhain breaks do...

In this powerful episode of Time Well Spent, hosts Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater sit down with data evangelist and aged-care innovator Rob Covino, CEO MIRUS Australia, to explore how AI, automation, and predictive technology are reshaping the future of care in Australia. Rob shares candid insights into the challenges and opportunities facing aged-care providers—from workforce fatigue and inefficie...

What happens after a cyber breach and how can providers be ready before it strikes? In this episode of Time Well Spent, we sit down with leading cyber lawyer and incident response expert Reece Corbett-Wilkins to explore the realities behind data breaches in the aged care and NDIS sectors. Key links: Annual Cyber Threat Report 2024-2025 | Cyber.gov.au – annual status including average costs of cybe...

Paul Sadler joins "Time Well Spent" for an unflinching look at Australia's aged care reform: what’s working, what’s gridlocked, and how real change hangs on rights, funding, and workforce realities. From the promise of the new Aged Care Act—putting human rights at the heart of care—to the systemic roadblocks of rationed packages, hospital bed bottlenecks, and a sector under intense financial and s...

Stuart Hutcheon from StewartBrown returns to unpack the financial realities facing aged care providers, revealing why profitability remains out of reach and what strategic moves can rebuild sector sustainability. They dive into the stark numbers: residential homes losing $3.10 per bed daily, workforce costs surging 60% since 2021, and the complex challenges of care minutes, technology adoption, an...

Australia’s aged care sector has been in the red for a decade, with more than half of homes losing money. Stuart Hutcheon, Managing Partner at StewartBrown, joins Dane and Rose to unpack why viability remains elusive and what must change to rebuild confidence. They discuss the true cost of building sustainable homes, the role of the new accommodation supplement, and how smaller, regional providers...

The long-awaited Support at Home reform has arrived, reshaping how aged care providers deliver, price, and manage care. But with the reduction to the care management fee and a shift to a fee for service model, are providers really ready? Lorraine Poulos, Managing Director of LPA and one of the sector’s most practical voices, joins Dane and Rose to unpack what “commercial readiness” actually means,...

The reform promised help when you need it. The reality might be another story. Adrian Morgan, General Manager at Flexi Care, joins us to unpack what’s going wrong, how funding gaps are leaving people without essential care, and what needs to change to help more Australians live safely and independently at home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four out of five older Australians say they’d rather not enter residential aged care. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a brand crisis.  Today’s guest is on a mission to flip that script. Anthony Nguyen, recruiter and host of the Pioneers in Aged Care podcast, is trying to bring ‘sexy’ back to aged care—by changing the way we tell our stories, attract our workforce, and reimagine what it means to a...

Did you know that aged care boards currently hold over 30 billion dollars in resident deposits within Australia? It’s a big responsibility - and we’re deep diving on this in today’s episode with Anthony Hamawi and David Hurley from JBWere.  In this episode, Anthony and David share: Why strong governance and liquidity management are the foundation of good investment decisions How aged care boards c...

Today’s conversation is with someone we both have immense respect for: Nick Ryan, the CEO of Lutheran Services. Lutheran Services has been providing services and support to Queenslanders for 90 years.  Dane: Nick’s credentials are impressive:  He’s the Chairperson of Meaningful Ageing Australia He was previously the CEO of Aged Care Queensland, which is now called Ageing Australia.  He also held t...

Welcome to Time Well Spent. The podcast for decision-makers, providers, and everyone working to make a difference in care. With your host, Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.