Recent alliances and expansions

Touchstone Life Care partners with Telstra Health

Advance care plan platform Touchstone Life Care has partnered with Telstra Health to make the ACP management system more accessible to aged care providers.

Residential care facilities already using Telstra Health software will be able to access the cloud-based platform as an integrated add-on.

“We are looking forward to being part of Telstra Health’s connected care ecosystem and ensuring that Australians are receiving the right care, at the time they need it most.” said Touchstone CEO Dr Merran Cooper.

Telstra Health chief health officer Dr Monica Trujillo said: “We are delighted to partner with Touchstone Life Care to support people facing end of life as well as those who support them.”

Two RTOs merge

New South Wales registered training organisations IRT Academy and Illawarra ITeC – both based in Wollongong – have combined and become ITeC Academy.

Founded in 1988, Illawarra ITeC has been a prominent provider of accredited training across NSW, particularly in the Illawarra region.

IRT Academy – renowned for its expertise in aged care training – has been an RTO since 1997, delivering accredited and non-accredited aged and community care courses.

“Our organisations have come together to meet the evolving needs of industries such as aged care,” said IRT CEO Patrick Reid. “We are committed to building on the strong foundations laid by both organisations, fostering sustainable career pathways through quality training and education.”

Mr Reid said the collaboration of the two organisations would create a “powerhouse” RTO. “We are committed to scaling rapidly to meet industry demands and equipping individuals with the skills to excel in their chosen fields.”

Sleeptite partners with Peak Care

Melbourne technology company Sleeptite has partnered with assistive technology retail group Peak Care.

“We are thrilled to partner with Peak Care to expand the reach of Sleeptite’s products,” said chief executive officer Cameron van den Dungen. “I was given great confidence that they were the right partners for Sleeptite into the aged care and disability care sectors.”

Peak Care supplier relationship manager Brett Ferreira said its membership represents the largest independent retail organisation in the Australian aged care, mobility, and rehabilitation sector. “As such, we have a responsibility to always look for opportunities to bring innovative products to market that step-change the assistive technology industry.”

He added: “Sleeptite’s consultative approach to product development, incorporating science, manufacturing and design, are fundamental to ensuring end users can access the best care available.”

Mission Australia teams with National Care Academy

Mission Australia has engaged with the National Care Academy to upskill its residential care workforce so it can comply with the incoming strengthened quality standards and the regulatory requirements of the new Aged Care Act.

“By investing in ongoing education and development, we are empowering our team members to deliver even higher standards of care,” said Misson Australia’s director of quality and operations (aged care) Kylie Marquart.

The partnership invovles the rollout of NCA’s workforce development solution Skills Mix BUDDY, which been designed to support the sector adapt to incoming reforms. It includes upskilling pathways for existing care workers, including medication assistance; dementia support; palliative care; pastoral and spiritual care

The partnership invovles the rollout of NCA’s workforce development solution Skills Mix BUDDY, which been designed to support the sector adapt to incoming reforms. It includes upskilling pathways for existing care workers, including medication assistance, dementia support, palliative care, pastoral and spiritual care, and 21 pathways aligned to the incoming quality standards. The solution also applies data-driven decision making to align the clinical needs of a facility’s residents to the specific workforce skills-mix upskilling strategy. 

Having Mission Australia on board is an exciting milestone for the academy, said NCA CEO Michael Bonner. “It is the culmination of our priority in the post-royal commission era to support care providers to optimise high-quality care via existing care worker upskilling and capability building.”

ACIITC merges with ACCPA

As foreshadowed at ITAC Conference in March, the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council has merged operations with the Aged & Community Care Providers Association.

Established 17 years ago to advance the aged care sector through innovation and technology, ACIITC has during that time forged partnerships, developed resources and driven research initiatives.

A statement posted on LinkedIn reads: “We are immensely proud of the impact we have made in improving outcomes for older people and their families.”

The knowledge and resources developed by the ACIITC will remain accessible to the aged care industry through ACCPA’s InnovAGEING program. Former ACIITC independent chair Dr George Margelis has taken on the role as ACCPA’s chief technology advisor.

Apollo Care acquires 90-bed facility

Not-for-profit aged care alliance Apollo Care has assumed approved provider status for The Bays Aged Care community in Victoria. Apollo Care will invest significantly in the expansion of the 90-bed aged care facility in Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula.

CEO Stephen Becsi welcomed The Bays Aged Care into the Apollo Care network, which places strong emphasis on recognising the important role not-for-profit providers have traditionally played in regional aged care.

“We respect the people and organisations who have taken on the role of caring for our vulnerable seniors in the past, and we will honour their legacy as we look to the future,” Mr Becsi said.

“Specifically, this means minimising the impact on residents, staff and families by retaining the existing brand and community, and simply injecting additional funding and specialist expertise to optimise care services.”

Alliance formed to improve care workforce

The National Care Workforce Alliance has formed to co-create a training program to provide a standardised industry-wide induction for all workers in the care sector.

Consisting of aged care providers Ballycara, Burnie Brae, Catholic Healthcare, Calvary and Centacare, disability support organisation Xavier, and Australian Catholic University, the alliance is developing and trialling a range of processes, training and supporting technology to increase worker attraction to the care sector and to improve worker mobility, retention and wellbeing.

Joanne Roy – general manager, aged care and housing  at Centacare – said the alliance is a game changer. “It’s an innovative solution to a problem that all providers and candidates are experiencing,” she said. “So I think [the alliance] could provide a really meaningful and long-term benefit to the industry.”

Have we missed a new partnership? Send us the details and an image to editorial@australianageingagenda.com.au