Groups and forums
Empowering and representing members is our priority
Ageing Australia is committed to advocating for, and providing support to, the aged care sector.
Our member councils, groups and forums have been established to:
- provide avenues through which sophisticated and comprehensive advice and guidance is delivered to its members
- provide mediums through which Ageing Australia will seek input and feedback on sector changes, policy and information
- provide forums which facilitate members to actively contribute to and test proposals and advocacy stances
- contribute to valued member services from both a national and state perspective
- provide opportunities for peer-to-peer networking, ideas exchange and support.
Ageing Australia state and national member councils
The Ageing Australia National Member Council (NMC), through their elected State Member Council (SMC) members, serve as a strategic conduit between members and Ageing Australia’s executive leadership team, ensuring local and national perspectives inform policy, advocacy and sector reform at both federal and state government level.
The NMC and SMC may also provide feedback on Ageing Australia’s services both existing and potential.
Each state and territory can nominate up to 15 member representatives, ensuring broad representation across the diverse aged care, retirement living and seniors housing landscape – regardless of their organisational size, structure, location, or service offering.
Each year, up to five of these positions become available for re-election.
Ageing Australia member forums
Ageing Australia offers national member forums for each service type or topic.
Forums include:
- residential care
- home and community care
- retirement living and seniors housing
- member engagement and advocacy.
Online Community and Resource Engagement (CaRE) groups
Ageing Australia members can also join specific online community groups to explore sector information, participate in peer-to-peer community conversations and connect with fellow members.
CaRE is an exclusive member benefit and is separate from our member councils, groups and forums. All members have access to CaRE as part of their Ageing Australia membership.
Please reach out to the CaRE Support team via for enquiries or assistance.
Ageing Australia policy feedback groups
Ageing Australia’s policy feedback groups are open to members and associates to contribute insights, sector intelligence and advice on key issues.
These groups play an important role in shaping our policy and advocacy by informing submissions, identifying emerging issues and strengthening our collective voice across the sector.
Participants must have relevant knowledge and experience, as well as a strong commitment to contributing.
The nine policy feedback groups are based on specific topics, and members and associates are required to register to participate.
| Policy feedback groups | Discussion topics | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Chief finance officers | Funding and finance related functions, including residential and home and community care reform, COVID-19 payments, supplements, auditing, financial governance and prudential. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Data and digital | Digital health, sector data, digital transformation (including transition). | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Dementia care | Restrictive practices, including chemical restraint, non-pharmacological therapy, incident management, dementia-friendly design. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| General | Range of topics that are outside the scope of another policy feedback group. Topics may include (but not necessarily be limited to) disability interface, health interface and specialisations such as First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTI, Veterans, homelessness among others. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Home and community care | Support at home reform, Commonwealth Home Support Programme, assessment, home modifications and equipment, access, Services Australia issues relating to home care. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Regional, rural and remote | Issues specific to service delivery and operation in regional, rural and remote areas (MMM 2-7). | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Regulatory design and implementation | New Aged Care Act, penalties, enforcement practices, complaint handing, governance rules. | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
| Residential care | Assessment, funding of care, hotel services and accommodation, financial reporting, prudential management, Services Australia, Star Ratings, Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC), workforce responsibilities, National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program. | Meets every three months (or as needed). |
| Retirement living and seniors housing | Asset management, new Aged Care Act and impacts on retirement villages and seniors housing, State legislative updates, workforce development, adoption of best practice, addressing the increasing demand for retirement living options, creating environments that promote continuum of care, discussion of new and innovative care models (i.e. assisted living apartments). | Emails and ad hoc workshops (as needed). |
