Experts speak out on organisational challenges

Aged care innovation network innovAGEING has launched a new program that brings together aged care industry experts to boost the initiative’s knowledge and the sector’s innovation capacity. 

The Experts-In-Residence Program involves 18 experts from innovAGEING’s network of partner organisations and aged care providers who will share their knowledge of challenges in the aged care sector with each other and the sector.

InnovAGEING aims to give a forward-looking and progressive perspective on organisational challenges in the aged care sector and increase its innovation capacity, said principal advisor Merlin Kong.

“This involves looking at ways to better respond to changing consumer wants and needs, developing and implementing competitive business models, and scaling a person-centric mindset across organisations.

“In meeting these goals, we have curated and established an expert community with world-class knowledge in human-centred design, gamification, robotics, block chain, dementia care, the internet of things, aged care finance, innovation strategy, social innovation, crowdsourcing, and creative ageing,” Mr Kong said.

Experts will share their knowledge through video interviews, real-time question and answer sessions and the innovAGEING blog, and in-person at events and forums.

Among those involved is creative ageing expert Karn Nelson, executive general manager at NSW aged care provider Whiddon.

She said the initiative would put a focus on the importance of innovation in aged care.

“We are now entering a new era, where we need to look at every aspect of aged care services and innovate with new models. This requires new skills, resources and aged care providers being willing and open to find new partnerships,” Ms Nelson told Australian Ageing Agenda.

Ms Nelson said she would focus on creative expressions, interacting with art towards improved health outcomes and evaluating resident wellbeing with relationship-based care.

She said the biggest organisational challenge in aged care was operating in silos dictated by funding structures.

To address silos, aged care providers must think about the potential challenges and how they can be overcome, Ms Nelson.

“This requires a lot of support from the board down, planning, creative thinking and teamwork across all areas of the organisation.”

The program’s experts are:

• Jaide Aitken, predictive analytics expert and director of data and analytics practice at KPMG
• Marie Alford, dementia care expert and head of business development at HammondCare
• Nathan Baird, consumer centricity expert and partner of design and thinking at KPMG
• Matiu Bush, innovation strategy expert and senior strategist of business innovation at Bolton Clarke
• Anthony Carroll, design thinking expert and marketing and innovation manager at ALIVE Mirus Group
• Peter Haywood, Agile expert and Agile lean coach and mentor at Commonwealth Bank
• Leah Heiss, human centred design expert and senior lecturer in the School of Design at RMIT University
• Larissa Hjorth, design and gamification expert and professor of design and creative practice at RMIT University
• Sachin Kumar, finance expert and national director of healthcare at Commonwealth Bank
• James Mabbott, innovation strategy expert and partner at KPMG Innovate
• Leonie Mulheran, robotics and care expert and national business development manager at Lamson
• Karn Nelson, creative ageing expert and executive general manager strategy and innovation at Whiddon
• Eloise Newbury, design thinking expert and innovation manger social impact sector banking at Commonwealth Bank
• Marc Niemes, communities of practice expert and executive producer at Kontent Labs
• Daniel Royal, block chain expert and senior manager, payments development and strategy at Commonwealth Bank
• Deanna Sacco, open innovation and crowdsourcing expert, head of group innovation at IRT
• Doug Taylor, social innovation expert and group executive at Uniting NSW & ACT
• John Vidler, Internet of Things expert and director IoT practice at KPMG.

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