Picture from Ageing Australia. From left: Andrea Kelly, Craig Gear, Lloyd Williams, Tom Symondson and Virgina Trioli.
OPAN shone a spotlight on advocacy, diversity and rights at the 2025 Ageing Australia National Conference on the Gold Coast this month, which brought together nearly 2,400 participants. Over three days of thought-provoking discussions, OPAN explored how the new Aged Care Act is transforming rights-based care.
From the plenary stage to the exhibition floor, OPAN promoted the imminent legislated independent aged care advocate and showcased free learning opportunities to support providers and the aged care workforce.
Day one began with OPAN CEO Craig Gear participating in the plenary session – Meeting the moment, shaping the future – which explored how the new Aged Care Act will shape the future of aged care. The panel discussed rights-based care, sector readiness, workforce sustainability and the need for culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
While challenges remain – from regional access and workforce training to co-payment equity – the panellists expressed optimism about the sector’s growing collaboration and shared commitment to reform.
Later that day, Mr Gear joined a powerful end-of-life conversation, exploring the realities of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in aged care settings. The conversation focused on access to information, compassion, personal choice, and supporting families and staff through the journey. The session also marked the launch of Go Gentle and OPAN’s joint publication, the Voluntary Assisted Dying in Residential Aged Care Homes report.
‘Residential aged care is someone’s home. This is not about taking a position for or against VAD – it’s about giving older people and their families the clarity they need at a deeply personal time,’ Mr Gear said.
Craig Gear session on Planning for diversity
On day 2, Mr. Gear led the session, Planning for diversity: Supporting a diverse client base and workforce, showcasing OPAN’s newly commenced Diversity workshops. These workshops explore the 13 diverse groups recognised under the new Aged Care Act and highlight the best practice initiatives to help providers and aged care workers create inclusive, rights-based care environments.
‘Diversity encompasses the full spectrum of human difference, visible and invisible, chosen and inherent. In aged care, this understanding becomes critical because we are providing services and care for whole human beings with rich and complex histories,’ Mr Gear said during his presentation.
‘As you don’t check your rights at the door when you start using aged care, people’s identities don’t disappear when they enter our care.’
Anthony and Anne at the OPAN booth.
