The Business of Ageing
We are facing a rapidly ageing population that is creating both challenges and opportunities for those who are responsible for their wellbeing. Join Shaun Alexander as he sits down with leaders of the seniors living industry for honest, thought-provoking conversations on how we can improve the lives of older Australians, whilst maintaining a sustainable industry into the future.
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Simon Kuestenmacher on the Journey of an Ageing Baby Boomer
09/04/2025
Simon Kuestenmacher on the Journey of an Ageing Baby Boomer
We are constantly reminded in the seniors living industry to "prepare for the silver tsunami” as the baby boomers enter the sector en masse. We are then told that these same baby boomers are going to “reinvent retirement” so as not to repeat the mistakes of their parents who have just “left the sector.” So how is the baby boomer generation going to radically change the experience of ageing, and what is it about this cohort and their life experiences that has led to this rethink? Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher is the co-founder and director of The Demographics Group. He’s a self-confessed data nerd who has made a career out of reading the statistical tea leaves and pulling out the kind of insights that sees him in constant demand from the media as well as a regular fixture on stage at industry events across the country. Simon’s wit and no bullshit approach makes him a crowd favourite who has given hope to geography students everywhere. In this episode of the Business of Ageing podcast we will deep dive into the psyche of the baby boomer generation, explore what has shaped their attitudes towards ageing and ask whether the industry is ready to adapt to their needs. The Business of Ageing Podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Simon Kuestenmacher is the Co-Founder and Director at
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Elyssia Clark on Technology and AI in Aged Care
06/02/2025
Elyssia Clark on Technology and AI in Aged Care
Technology and AI is fast becoming part of everyone’s lives, and the seniors living industry is no exception. As the demand for aged care services overtakes the ability of the sector to deliver it, operators are embracing these new tools for their ability to augment staff shortages, demonstrate service delivery and improve the consumer experience by helping to ease the social isolation that is sadly so common amongst older Australians. Elyssia Clark is the General Manager of Customer, Insights and Marketing at not-for-profit aged care and community services provider, Benetas - and has been championing the use of robotics and AI through the introduction of Abi the Robot into some of their aged care facilities. In this episode of The Business of Ageing podcast, we will be talking about some of the new technology that is being adopted by the sector, the operational impact that it’s having, and how both staff and residents are adapting to this brave new world. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Elyssia Clark is the General Manager of Customer, Insights and Marketing at
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Michael Doneman on the role of AI in Elderhood
03/11/2025
Michael Doneman on the role of AI in Elderhood
Right now, generative AI and education is a contentious issue, as schools and universities scramble to adapt their assessment processes to the growing use of tools such Chat GPT by students. But not everyone in education is looking at this technology as a threat, especially when it comes to assisting older people in maintaining their cognitive function and helping them to thrive in elder hood through continuous, lifelong learning. Michael Doneman is working on his PhD at RMIT’s School of Communications and Design. His study is focussed on the use and impact of artificial intelligence amongst aging populations, specifically looking at the role of AI-enabled digital avatars in helping older people learn, flourish and ultimately age well in place. In our conversation, Michael discusses how quickly older people move past the fear of this new technology once they understand the application and ultimately embrace its potential. In this episode of the Business of Ageing we will be diving into the “Future Now” world of AI, what it is, where it’s going and look at the incredible opportunities that this technology can bring to older Australians once you cut through the media-fuelled noise that the mere mention of AI seems to bring. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Michael Doneman is a PhD student at RMIT University at the founder of
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Lucy Sutherland on Rightsizing in Australian Housing
01/26/2025
Lucy Sutherland on Rightsizing in Australian Housing
Is there a right size for a home and how is that definition changing? Do families still aspire to live in a freestanding house on a quarter acre block in the suburbs or is our definition of The Great Australian Dream evolving due to financial realities and cultural influences? And what about older Australians? How many are still living in the old family home, long after the kids have moved on, in a house that is clearly too big for their needs? Lucy Sutherland, Director of Insights and Trends at Temple & Webster has recently compiled a research paper called “The Future of Rightsizing in Australian Housing”, and argues that the traditional definition is definitely changing, but there is still considerable hesitation for many people to embrace higher density living. In this episode of The Business of Ageing podcast, Lucy shares the findings of the report, discusses what “rightsizing” means to each generation and argues that you can determine someone’s satisfaction with the size of their home by the number of spare bedrooms they have. At a time of ongoing housing affordability stress and a rapidly ageing population, this conversation is incredibly timely. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at is the Director of Insights and Trends at Temple & Webster You can download the full Future of Rightsizing report
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MaryAnn De Mestre on Inheritance Impatience
10/29/2024
MaryAnn De Mestre on Inheritance Impatience
Money can bring out the worst in people. This is especially true when it comes to family estate planning where entitlement and inheritance impatience from adult children can put pressure on ageing parents and in some cases even tear families apart. This is not a comfortable conversation for most people, but it is one that needs to happen early, and preferably in the company of a specialist financial advisor and estate planning solicitor. MaryAnn De Mestre is a solicitor and legal academic who specialises in estate planning and succession law, and believes that getting these affairs in order early, will save a significant amount of heartbreak later on. In this episode of The Business of Ageing podcast, we discuss how rising house prices and cost of living pressures have fueled the growing phenomenon of “inheritance impatience”. MaryAnn talks about how this has led to a sharp increase in elder financial abuse within families, but thankfully offers valuable advice on how professional planning, family alignment and the right documentation can safeguard older people who might be vulnerable to this all-too-common occurrence. The Business of Ageing has been produced by Shaun Alexander of Pluss Communities. To learn more about Pluss Communities To learn more about MaryAnn de Mestre and M de Mestre Lawyers
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Daniel Gannon on Retirement Living's Role in Addressing the Aged Care Crisis
10/16/2024
Daniel Gannon on Retirement Living's Role in Addressing the Aged Care Crisis
As the Executive Director of the industry’s peak body, The Retirement Living Council, Daniel Gannon has been a highly visible advocate for the sector. This advocacy has Daniel crisscrossing the country, talking with retirement village operators and residents, lobbying governments and assuming the position of industry spokesperson to a sometimes hostile media. In this episode of the Business of Ageing, I sit down with Daniel to gauge the success of the Council’s recent initiatives, and whether or not these are having a material impact on government policy as well as public perception of the retirement living sector. We discuss the positive role that retirement villages can play in addressing the challenges of an aged care industry that is struggling to meet the growing demands of a rapidly ageing population. We look at the various roadblocks that need to be removed for this to happen, and what retirement village operators are doing to create world class communities for the next generation of residents. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities. To learn more about Pluss Communities click You can learn more about Daniel Gannon
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Sarah Wright on change management within the seniors living industry
09/16/2024
Sarah Wright on change management within the seniors living industry
Change is hard. Most people are fairly set in their ways and naturally reluctant to alter their behaviours and ingrained habits. When it comes to organisational change within the seniors living industry, these challenges are amplified 100 fold, as you try to coordinate long term staff spread across multiple geographic locations, as well as elderly residents who can be challenged by sudden disruptions to their day to day lives. Luckily, there are Change Managers like Sarah Wright who have spent a career in helping organisations navigate these major transformations of their businesses. Sarah has recently been guiding one of Australia’s largest seniors living organisations through a fundamental digital transformation of their operations, and in the process armed its leaders with the tools they need to drive successful change. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, I sit down with Sarah to understand what makes a successful change manager and learn what practical steps every company can take to ensure that long term change will be embraced by the entire organisation and its residents. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities. To learn more about Pluss Communities click You can learn more about Sarah Wright
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Nick Donnelly on the importance of early planning and family alignment when downsizing
08/22/2024
Nick Donnelly on the importance of early planning and family alignment when downsizing
How much is your lifestyle worth as you age and what is the financial opportunity cost of these decisions? Nick Donnelly from Plenary Wealth is a financial advisor who specialises in retirement living, aged care and granny flat agreements and believes that the lifestyle benefits of seniors living communities can often trump the financial cost, but alignment between family members is critical when planning for this stage. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, we will be discussing the best ways for people to educate themselves on the options available to them and why getting organised early can save a lot of heartbreak down the track. Nick will be diving into the detail of retirement village and residential aged care contracts and what people need to be aware of as they transition from one to another. We will be learning about the concept of “granny flat agreements” and how these can be a win-win option for multigenerational families looking to delay aged care as long as possible. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities. To learn about Pluss Communities click Click to learn more about Nick Donnelly Click to learn more about Plenary Wealth Is there someone that you’d like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas
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Rachel Lane on Balancing Expectations with Reality in Aged Care & Retirement Living
07/13/2024
Rachel Lane on Balancing Expectations with Reality in Aged Care & Retirement Living
One of the hardest parts about ageing is knowing when it’s time to leave the family home. Do you move into a retirement village and embrace community life, or stay at home as long as possible before facing the inevitable need for care and the scramble for suitable options that follows? If that decision making process isn’t hard enough, the financial minefield of contracts and payment options can end up trapping even the most savvy consumers. Luckily Rachel Lane from Aged Care Gurus simplifies this process by breaking down these complex concepts into easy to understand, practical information, whilst also keeping the providers and policy makers honest by calling it exactly as she sees it. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, Rachel shares some of the trends she is seeing from consumers when it comes to retirement living and aged care, and how there can often be a disconnect between these expectations with the reality of what providers can deliver. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities. To learn about Pluss Communities click Click to learn more about Aged Care Gurus Is there someone that you’d like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas
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Natasha and Justin Chadwick on Changing the Narrative in Aged Care
06/03/2024
Natasha and Justin Chadwick on Changing the Narrative in Aged Care
Natasha and Justin Chadwick from New Direction Care are a mother and son team who have turned the traditional aged care model on its head. Their Microtown community is exactly that - a miniature community where aged care and dementia residents live in real houses, connected to a town centre complete with shops, cafes and all the services that you would expect from a real village. This enables residents to thrive in an active, inclusive and fulfilling environment that’s a far cry from the nursing homes of old. But like any revolution, change is hard and it takes a certain type of visionary with an unflinching drive and an even thicker skin to navigate the regulatory hurdles and cynical naysayers who said it could never be done. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, we learn what it takes to instigate real change in the aged care industry and the implications for not only residents and their families, but also for care staff used to highly repetitive, task-based work. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities. To learn about Pluss Communities click Is there someone that you'd like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas Click to learn more about NewDirection Care
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Merlin Kong on Rethinking Innovation in Aged Care
04/24/2024
Merlin Kong on Rethinking Innovation in Aged Care
What does it actually mean to be innovative? And how many people within your organsiation would you consider to be innovators? Is it the Head of Technology that just rolled out a company-wide digital transformation project, or could it be the carer who came up with a clever way to engage the residents they look after? Innovation has traditionally been seen by many organisations as something that happens by senior people within a board room, but Merlin Kong believes that anyone can become an innovator if given the opportunity to think, and a platform to share their ideas. As the former director of InnovAgeing, Merlin sought to democratise “innovation” within the sector, by creating a forum that was open to everyone, not just those at the top. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, we discuss how innovation should be viewed as a cultural mindset within every organisation and that providers need to build in more “slack” into their workforce to give employees the opportunity to stop and think, rather than just running around and putting out fires. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities To learn more about Pluss Communities click Is there someone that you'd like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas Click to learn more about Merlin Kong and Youtopient
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Mike Jeffrey on changing careers while keeping your values intact
04/14/2024
Mike Jeffrey on changing careers while keeping your values intact
The majority of people who work for not-for-profit organisations are driven by a fundamental desire to help others. As a result they tend to remain in the sector, and in many cases, within the same organisation, for the majority of their careers. The work can be difficult, under-resourced and emotionally draining - but at the same time immensely fulfilling. Having a clear purpose in your day to day job is an incredibly powerful motivator. But what do you do if 20 years into your career you feel that you need to make a major change to your status quo, but don’t want to compromise your core values? Most of us fantasise about radical, mid-life career changes from time to time, but not many of us actually go through with it. Mike Jeffrey did just that, taking a major leap of faith by leaving a stable 20 year career in a church-based aged care organisation, for the uncertainty of a tech startup. In this episode of “The Business of Ageing” Mike talks us through his experience and how his early days as a youth worker showed him the importance of “community” in developing and maintaining people’s sense of purpose. This has been a theme that has stayed with Mike throughout his career within the aged care sector, leading Marketing for Wesley Mission Queensland before jumping across to tech start up “Pluss Communities”. We have all heard about “transferrable skills” but Mike Jeffrey’s experience is a story about “transferable values.” The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities To learn more about Pluss Communities click Is there someone that you'd like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas Click to learn more about Mike Jeffrey
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Lara Calder on revolutionising aged care through thoughtful design
04/10/2024
Lara Calder on revolutionising aged care through thoughtful design
When most people think of aged care, they picture tired, dark old buildings that feel and act more like hospitals. Managing Director of Calder Flower Architects & Interiors, Lara Calder is determined to change that perception, believing that there is no reason why the last place that you call home in this world, can’t also be one of the best. Through thoughtful environmental design that connects people with the memory-inducing sensory experiences of the outdoors, Lara’s vision is to create spaces that bring delight and joy to both residents and the staff who care for them. In this episode of The Business of Ageing, we will also discuss new, alternate models of seniors housing including co-generational communities and small-household co-living developments that are starting to gain some real traction. So prepare to be inspired as nurse-turned architect, Lara Calder and the brave clients she works with, transform the concept of what “home” means for people as they age. The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities To learn more about Pluss Communities click Is there someone that you'd like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas Click to learn more about Lara Calder and Calder Flower Architects & Interiors
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