Benetas Industry Breakfast Explores Future of Aged Care in its 70th Year

Leading not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas will host its fifth annual Industry Breakfast tomorrow morning, with a panel discussion exploring ‘Aged Care: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’. With Benetas celebrating its 70th year, the panel will reflect on the past 70 years and look to what the future might hold in the next 70 years.

Considering the sector across the ages, the panel will explore the legacies that exist from the post World War II beginnings, to the current challenges, and how these emerging trends may impact the future of aged care.

The well-informed and distinguished panelists feature aged care industry expert Richard Gray AM, Chief Operating Officer of Portable, a Melbourne-based award-winning digital design and technology company, Sarah Kaur, and Benetas General Manager for Strategy, Infrastructure and Housing, Chris Karagiannis.

Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said the topic for the annual industry breakfast this year sits well with Benetas achieving its 70 year milestone.

“The event provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the year and have meaningful discussion about industry challenges and opportunities with colleagues, partners and stakeholders,” she said.

“The sector is facing a challenging time, however I believe it’s also an exciting time to be in aged care with much opportunity for growth and innovation.” The discussion will begin with the enormous shift in society which occurred around the time Benetas was formed in 1948, where church groups typically stepped up to fill the gaps for older Australians who saw themselves without care and family support.

The panel will look at how the hospital care model emerged and how compliance and risk-driven approaches become the foundation of aged care over the last 70 years. It will then explore where we are at now and the current state of play in aged care models and service provision, and what influence this and other aspects may have on the future.

Ms Hills OAM said Benetas is also proud to be launching its 70th history book, A Good Age: 70 years of Benetas 1948 – 2018, written by award winning author James Boyce.

“It’s an exciting milestone for all involved with Benetas, to be celebrating 70 years of fulfilling our mission to provide older Victorians, their families and carers with a full range of quality communitybased aged care services,” she said.

Chairman of Leading Aged Services Australia, and former Benetas Director, Dr Graeme Blackman AO will officially launch the book at the Industry Breakfast.

“I’m honoured to launch such a wonderful narrative of the Benetas history, from the opening of Broughton Hall in 1948 to now providing aged care services to over 8,800 clients in both residential, home care and retirement living,” he said.

“Benetas has a long and well-respected history as an aged care provider here in Victoria and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds, especially with the further development of their new approach to aged care.”

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