4 minute read
Chairman’s Column
ANOTHER IMPORTANT YEAR OF WORK FOR LASA
WORKING TIRELESSLY TO SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS AND THE AGE SERVICES INDUSTRY
Dr Graeme Blackman AO FTSE FAICD Chairman, Leading Age Services Australia
It has been another extraordinarily busy few months for the age services industry as we continue to adjust to and manage the unpredictable nature of COVID-19. Throughout, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) staff have worked hard to continue providing a strong voice for the industry and a helping hand to our Members to support them in caring for vulnerable older Australians.
LASA successfully brought together experts in health and medicine, academia and government to discuss the way forward with From Pandemic to Endemic: The Future of Aged Care and COVID-19 Virtual Forum at the end of November.
The forum marked a pivotal moment as we emerge from the past 20 months of lockdowns now that vaccination rates have reached high levels.
Charting a way forward in these challenging times by consulting regularly with key stakeholders and bringing forward issues and solutions to decision makers is central to the major advocacy work of LASA.
In October, LASA and Aged & Community Services Australia jointly produced the discussion paper Planning for Living with COVID, which flags the need to reshape policy and approaches to how we manage residential aged care and home care operations, and workforce planning, as we live with COVID-19 in the community.
Another important piece of work released in November is the LASA Research Report into Home Care Price Regulation and Market Stewardship. With input from home care providers and LASA staff, this report sets out directions for reform to the HCP and CHSP programs.
The intrinsic value of this kind of work is to place LASA at the forefront of advocacy and influence on government policy in the interests of older Australians and the people and organisations that care for and support them.
As I have mentioned previously, LASA’s work with the Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) means that collectively we can have a united and stronger voice with which to demonstrate leadership.
This will be crucial as we go into the new year, in pursuit of progress on the Federal Government’s five-year aged care reform timetable in response to the Age Care Royal Commission’s recommendations.
Alongside our advocacy and policy work, LASA has kept up an extensive program of education webinars on a range of topics including leadership, management, clinical governance, care management in home care, along with the regular Age Services Industry Forums.
These and other skills and training events have been extremely popular among our Members in preparing staff to deliver professional and high quality services, while learning to navigate complex regulatory requirements. Our staff have excelled in keeping our Members informed and ready to adapt to change.
I’m pleased to welcome our new LASA Members and to report that our Membership continued to grow during the year.
Aside from our advocacy and work at communicating important changes about our industry, we also take time to celebrate the achievements of our Members.
I want to thank those Members who took the time and effort to enter our National Excellence in Age Services Awards for 2021, the entries have been outstanding. Sadly, once again we were not able to celebrate in person at our National Congress this year but I offer my congratulations to all our award winners.
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Also, I want to congratulate the winners in this year’s innovAGEING Awards where LASA celebrates the creativity and ingenuity in our sector.
It has been a challenging year for everyone, especially those who have endured months of lockdown but kept working to care for our vulnerable older Australians in residential aged care and in-home support services.
I’d like to thank the Board for their contributions during the year and for their work on various policy areas and also thanks to the advisory committees for their contributions including our new Consumer Advisory Committee.
I also want to thank our CEO and all LASA staff for their work.
Following our Annual General Meeting in November and elections for LASA Board vacancies, I am delighted to welcome the re-election of Robert Orie, CEO of Montefiore, as Elected Director representing NSW/ACT and Michelle Jenkins, CEO of Community Vision Australia Limited, as the newly Elected Director representing WA.
I would like to thank all of the candidates who nominated for Board vacancies and I look forward to their ongoing contributions to the important work of LASA. A heartfelt thanks also to outgoing Director Christopher How, CEO of The Bethanie Group, for his extensive service to LASA, serving the former LASA WA organisation for over seven years, and a Director on the national LASA Board 2012-2016 and 2018-2021.
The AGM also approved the LASA Annual Review 2020-21 which details our achievements and activities over another tumultuous yet productive and successful year. It can be downloaded here.
Finally, I wish you all Merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and relaxing and safe holidays. ■
L-R The LASA Board saw Michelle Jenkins replace Chris How as the Elected Director representing WA.
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