industry & reform job . But it ’ s clear through some of the examples we ’ ve seen , that ’ s not the case .
So if you manage to provide adequate care , it ’ s very clear that we ’ re then going to see many examples of terrible care . Because if the average is adequate , there ’ s obviously some that are very good and above but there ’ s also some that are much less adequate .
We want excellent care , not just adequate care .
The royal commission has obviously cast a large shadow over the industry for the last couple of years . What have your thoughts been on the process ? A royal commission is a very difficult thing for whoever ’ s involved . But I ’ ve watched it as an independent , and then as someone who ’ s obviously very involved in what will come . And my observation is a very strong one . I think that the process appears very considered , it ’ s engaged with many different experts and perspectives . It hasn ’ t just limited itself to a few , it ’ s gone wide and varied . They ’ ve been on the ground . I mean , they ’ ve actually been out and visited some of our facilities as an example .
So I would say , and I think most in the sector would say , that most of the key directions they ’ re heading in are broadly supported .
You ’ ve come from one industry that had just come out of a royal commission and now into this one . I ’ d imagine you had conversations at NAB about how you ’ d win back trust after the Royal Commission Funnily enough , yes . Lots .
How do you do it in aged care ? Well , each day it ’ s like climbing Mount Everest . You ’ ve got to take one step up the mountain , and each step you take is further towards the summit . And trust can be lost in an instant , and it ’ s earned over a very long period .
Our role in that is to continue to live our mission on a daily basis , and to continue to try harder . We ’ re not going to be perfect , but I can tell you that I have , in my six weeks , seen a number of examples where I ’ ve been brought close to tears . Indeed , I have been in tears on a couple of occasions , on seeing the example of our mission in action , and the difference we ’ re making to people . That is nothing short of inspiring .
When you come to a job like this , what is on your to-do list ? I think it ’ s an interesting time . HammondCare has grown very significantly . And [ former CEO ] Stephen [ Judd ] was here a very , very long time . But right now , there ’ s still a number of strategic questions you need to ask . The royal commission is obviously going to change the sector , and the shape , and the funding , and some of the approach . So , we need to consider that , versus what we were doing . The pandemic has obviously had an impact , and what is that going to do to the business going forward , for the trends here and across the world in aged care ?
We need to take stock in light of all of those changing elements , and the business that we ’ re fortunate to have , and work out what the next chapter ’ s going to be . Because there ’ s no doubt that you could just continue with business as usual . My sense is that we can do even more , and care for even more people in parts of our business where we ’ re already making an impact . I think the
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Trust can be lost in an instant , and it ’ s earned over a very long period .
challenge will be , can we do even more in some of those [ areas ], and what does that look like ?
I would imagine one plus to having you as CEO would be your ties to government and potentially having you as someone who can barrack on behalf of the sector . Would that be an important role for you ? Certainly I will talk for HammondCare , and I ’ m happy to participate amongst other voices in the sector , but relationship with government is important . To me , what ’ s important about that is just getting an understanding . Members of parliament and cabinets , state and federal , will make decisions every week across a range of issues and sectors . But the level of understanding that each member and cabinet minister has can be variable .
There ’ s some that are deep experts , and some that will know nothing . So I think the onus is on us . The best thing we can do is just to give a full fact base and understanding . When we talk about the challenges , well , we should talk about the challenges , and you ’ ve seen one example in the home care packages waiting list , how that is playing out .
If every minister understood what it was like to have desperate families , where people have been approved for care , and they ’ re waiting , waiting , waiting , and conveying that , and breaking that down into individual electrodes for the MPs , and here ’ s this collection of 100 people that are waiting …
Actually providing funding to reduce that is going to make a massive difference to people ’ s lives . I think we have to do more than just explain what it means to be level one , two , three , or four , and instead the cases that represents , and who are the people , and what does that mean ? I think that ’ s really important . And then the heartache of waiting for it . I think that starts to change the depth of understanding of the challenges we ’ re facing . So it ’ s one thing to talk about it in a generic sense as a waiting list , it ’ s another to really explain it , both in a technical concept , but also what we ’ re seeing in an emotional context . And government has started to move on that , which was very positive . But obviously there ’ s still a waiting list .
Ageism has been put forward as a big reason why we ’ re having these issues in aged care . It seems like a weird moment in history – there ’ s climate change , the pandemic , political upheaval , and I think aged care in Australia is one of those pivotal tipping points . Does that responsibility weigh heavily on you ? No , the other way around ; I ’ m incredibly excited . I see it as a generational opportunity . You ’ re not often going to have the eyes of the country on your sector , with the federal government willing and determined to act . So , to help to shape and influence that in the next 12 months , I consider a privilege .
And I think we ’ ve got a chance to have a better and stronger country off the back of it – a country that supports and cares for and values their elderly in a way that we haven ’ t . Well , I think that would say a lot about us as a nation , and I think we ’ d be richer as a result . ■ agedcareinsite . com . au 17