Cam Ansell at LEADERS SUMMIT: This period of transition "most exciting change" aged care sector seen

Aged care operators must not bury their heads in the sand during this period when changes in the sector are creating both opportunities and threats, said Cam Ansell CEO Ansell Strategic in his LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 address.

By 2035, Cam predicts that residential aged care will move towards high complexity and palliative care. The average entry age will be higher and the length of stay will decline to around 18 months. It will continue to be taxpayer funded, but there will be increased consumer contributions - and that will drive higher quality expectations. RADs will still exist but there will be a move towards DAPs due to the shorter length of stay. There will be tight regulation and mandated care minutes and a specialised workforce. Not For Profits will largely look after those without means to pay, Cam predicted.

Assisted living, or care serviced apartment, will be mainly consumer funded with government support, as for home care clients. Regulation will be reduced. Cam said he expects this form of care to grow "exponentially" over the next decade. In the UK, the average length of say is about 2.8 years, and most residents stay in assisted living stay until the end of their lives.

Growth in community based care will be constrained by the number of people available to deliver care - so supportive technologies will become "really critical", Cam said.

While people will have their own views on the future of aged care, for those burying their head in the sand "their death will be fast", Cam cautioned.

The "winners" will form their own view and pivot accordingly.

"This is the most exciting change our sector has ever seen and will ever see, because this is the period of transition."