Aged-care challenges and solutions in focus at the upcoming PASA conference

It’s just over a year since the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The challenge for procurement in the aged-care sector is nothing less than to help redesign the operating cost model to ensure high standards of aged care remain affordable indefinitely.

Adding to this is the fallout from the 148 recommendations included in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care.

These challenges — and solutions — will be front and centre at Procurement and Supply Australasia’s (PASA) Aged Care Procurement Conference, 8–9 June 2022.

This 2022 instalment of Australia’s largest gathering of aged-care procurement leaders, health sector buyers and their teams will bring:

• clear policy guidance as well as practical advice;
• case studies and illustrations;
• a keynote from the federal Minister for Health and Aged Care;
• presentations from leading aged-care providers, top healthcare buyers and leading vendors on how to balance quality and cost.
   

More than 200 attendees are expected to attend this conference at Royal Randwick Racecourse on 8–9 June 2022 — live and in person. The event has drawn a top billing of sponsors, including Cab Charge, Alpha Life Care, Harvey Norman Commercial, Infectious, ambius, UniMarket and media partner Hospital + Healthcare.

The lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the need for a higher standard of care for older Australians. But what challenges do procurement professionals in the aged-care sector face?

Inevitably, better care will drive higher costs, and the vast majority of aged-care operators are ill-equipped to accommodate this. Many of Australia’s care homes are small for-profit businesses with no real scope for leveraging economies of scale. Increases in government funding for aged care over the short and medium term will likely not be enough to cater to Australia’s aging population.

To ensure that procurement professionals can continue to provide a high standard of aged care for the foreseeable future, teams will need to implement new technologies, such as automation and Procure to Pay systems, to establish efficient and robust processes. Some technology experts say the only way to address this imbalance in rising costs and expectation on improved care is through using technology.

Reserve a ticket to PASA’s Aged Care Procurement Conference: https://agedcareprocurement.com/.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Anton Gvozdikov