industry & reform
Tracey Spicer at the National Press Club in Canberra . Photo : Rohan Thomson
Starting the conversation
Tracey Spicer and Your Side CEO address the key issues in aged care .
Danielle Ballantine and Tracey Spicer interviewed by Eleanor Campbell
Walkley award-winning journalist Tracey Spicer has teamed up with support service provider Your Side to canvas the major issues facing the aged care sector .
In a filmed eight part In Conversation series Spicer and Your Side chief executive Danielle Ballantine tackle the workforce crisis , future reforms and the hurdles to achieving quality care .
Spicer , who recently became an ambassador for Your Side , has been a longtime advocate for seniors and women ’ s rights .
“ We just won ’ t see the improvements in quality care we expect unless we improve pay and training for workers delivering care support and services ,” she said .
Tracey and Danielle both joined Aged Care Insite to speak about the series and the power of advocacy to instigate change .
ACI : As an aged care provider in the landscape of COVID-19 and the royal commission , there ’ s a lot of mistrust in the community – how can people like you help to rebuild this ? DB : It is as simple as delivering on your promise . As humans , we build trust by doing as we say we will do . But to do that , organisations need to have a good culture where staff are respected , empowered and valued . If we value our people who deliver the care , and recruit for culture fit , staff will work hard to support clients . A lot of clients are referred by word of mouth which continues to motivate us to always deliver on what we say that we will do .
It ’ s also really important to be open and transparent about what we are doing to prevent abuse , about what the fees are , and about what the challenges are that we are facing .
What is the goal of these ‘ In Conversation ’ sessions ? Why are they important ? DB : Our overall goal is to have open conversations about care , both for individual families and for the sector .
With Tracey , Your Side is bringing attention to issues facing the sector , such as workforce shortages , burnout and improving the quality of care . Having Tracey ’ s voice helps us start a real conversation about how we get together and find real solutions .
This conversation needs to include government , sector and the community . Too often it ’ s just two of those three .
On a more personal level , time and again we hear that many people find it difficult to navigate aged care . This was reinforced through the Royal Commission . Working with Tracey , we have been running a campaign encouraging people to plan for care . We encourage people to start conversations with family early and avoid a crisis , where any kind of care is better than no care at all .
How has it been teaming up with Tracey ? How can public figures draw more awareness to the issues happening in aged care ? DB : It ’ s unique to have an ambassador for our sector , but aged care is something that we will all experience in our lives ; whether it is through loved ones or our own care . As an award winning journalist , known for tackling social issues , Tracey has drawn attention to the important aspects of aged
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