After 50 years, Spiritual Health Association says farewell
Meaningful Ageing Australia will take over the intellectual property of “big sister” Spiritual Health Association, with CEO Rachael Wass telling AAA she is saddened but committed to continuing its work.
Spiritual Health Association has announced it will wind down operations in March after five decades of championing spiritual care in health.
Meaningful Ageing Australia – the peak body for the spiritual care and emotional wellbeing of older people – has taken over custodianship of Spiritual Health Association’s intellectual property and resources following its failure to secure alternative funding.
A transition consultant has been appointed to manage the handover and to support members until the end of the financial year.
MAA chief executive officer Rachael Wass told Australian Ageing Agenda she was saddened by the dissolution of the charity, which MAA viewed as its “big sister,” but was committed to ensuring their important work is continued.
The two peak bodies have had a long history together, and MAA is honoured to preserve SHA’s history and keep the support for its former members alive, she said.
“Both organisations want to demonstrate that we want to be good custodians … that we’re not going to know everything even though we’ve known each other for some time, we’re not going to know all the resources and tools and we want to be able to treat that with respect,” Ms Wass told AAA.
“The great thing is, is we’ve got someone who had worked at Spiritual Health Association but now is a chaplain in aged care. And so that person’s got that dual passport and they understand.
“[It is] a most perfect fortunate thing, because that way we can skillfully understand what amazing resources and tools are there that could be appropriate for the aged care sector, and so that boosts up that value for members.
“As we’ve always done – and Spiritual Health Australia has always done – we try to provide as many things as we can for free for people, so that will continue as best as we can.”
Ms Wass emphasised this new custodianship does not constitutionally change MAA in any way, and its focus remains on the aged care sector – particularly during this pivotal period of reform.
“We know that spirituality, cultural diversity, culturally appropriate care and emotional wellbeing across the different realms of aged care, whether that’s in home care or in residential care, palliative care, these are things now – with the new standards, the new Aged Care Act and human rights – people will be asking us to support them and we can’t walk away from that,” Ms Wass told AAA.
Have we missed a merger or acquisition? Send us the details and an image to editorial@australianageingagenda.com.au
