COTA Conversations June webinar – Understanding aged care

Aged care is a subject that has certainly been in the news in recent years. The Royal Commission has revealed major concerns about the quality of services in some residential facilities, there are well-documented issues with availability, levels and quality of staffing and waiting lists are still longer than they should be. At a personal level, many people remain unaware that services may be available to them and struggle to access the support they need and navigate the financial complexities involved.

So with a new federal government promising to “put security, dignity, quality and humanity back into aged care”, as well as making a number of concrete undertakings, what now for the sector? And if you need to access home or residential care services, for yourself or a friend or family member, where do you start?

The June COTA Conversations webinar takes a rigorous look at the future of aged care and sets you on the right path to accessing services if and when you need them.

Paul Sadler is currently CEO of peak body Aged and Community Care Services Australia. He has a unique range of experience from more than 35 years in aged care and related fields. This includes periods as CEO of a major aged care provider, leader of a not-for-profit aged and community care peak association, manager of ageing policy and disability and community care programs for a state government, and social worker with older people, people with disabilities and their carers. See Paul’s presentation

Judy Christian is a psychologist with a particular interest in issues affecting older adults such as adapting to retirement, bereavement, social isolation, depression, anxiety, loss of independence and communication problems due to strokes or other neurological problems. While supporting her 97-year-old mother through the COVID-19 years in aged care, she has also become an aged care activist.

Terry Stathakis is COTA NSW’s own aged care navigator-in-chief and spends his time helping clients to access the services they need. He originally trained as a speech pathologist and has several years of experience working with aged clients and their families as an ACAT assessor and as an Aged Services Coordinator. Terry is passionate about ensuring all individuals have equal access to services, and that they are well informed to make their own life choices.

This webinar is in two parts. The first part looks at the future of aged care, and in the second part Terry answers specific questions about accessing aged care.