Time Well Spent

In this deeply personal episode of Time Well Spent, co-host Rose Plater turns the microphone toward Dane Mitchell to explore the story that quietly shaped his life, values, and leadership in care.

At the heart of the conversation is Lola, Dane’s Nan, a woman of deep faith who devoted her life to raising more than 160 children as matron of a Baptist children’s home. Known simply as “Mum” to every child in her care, Lola believed that every child deserved one thing above all else: a place to call home.

Dane reflects on how Lola’s legacy shaped his family’s story, his commitment to service, and ultimately the purpose behind Time Well Spent. Together, Dane and Rose unpack how lived experience — from childhood care, to dementia journeys, to working on the frontline — informs better leadership, better design, and more humane models of aged care.

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Payroll compliance is now one of the biggest risks in aged care. Every provider, even the well-run ones, uncover errors driven by 24/7 rosters, complex Modern Awards and constant legislative change. In this episode, Dane and Rose speak with Siobhain Simpson, Partner at StuartBrown, who has audited hundreds of providers and never completed an audit without finding payroll issues.

Siobhain breaks down why errors are unavoidable, which clauses cost organisations the most, why overpayments are harder to fix than you think, and what boards should be asking to protect their organisations. She also shares how transparency builds trust, why independent checks matter, and when AI might finally take over payroll interpretation.

A must-listen for aged care and NDIS leaders navigating risk, reform and the reality of paying people right.

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In this powerful episode of Time Well Spent, hosts Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater sit down with data evangelist and aged-care innovator Rob Covino, CEO MIRUS Australia, to explore how AI, automation, and predictive technology are reshaping the future of care in Australia.

Rob shares candid insights into the challenges and opportunities facing aged-care providers—from workforce fatigue and inefficient systems to the promise of AI-powered documentation, predictive deterioration modelling, and even cloned video avatars that can support behavioural de-escalation for residents living with dementia. 

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What happens after a cyber breach and how can providers be ready before it strikes? In this episode of Time Well Spent, we sit down with leading cyber lawyer and incident response expert Reece Corbett-Wilkins to explore the realities behind data breaches in the aged care and NDIS sectors. 

Key links:

Annual Cyber Threat Report 2024-2025 | Cyber.gov.au – annual status including average costs of cybercrime for businesses

Cyber Wardens Foundations - Live and On Demand Webinars - Cyber Wardens – free training for SMEs

Questions to ask managed service providers | Cyber.gov.au – questions to ask MSPs about cyber security

What are you risking online? | Act Now. Stay Secure. – Act Now, Stay Secure – government campaign about how to build cyber security culture

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Paul Sadler joins "Time Well Spent" for an unflinching look at Australia's aged care reform: what’s working, what’s gridlocked, and how real change hangs on rights, funding, and workforce realities.

From the promise of the new Aged Care Act—putting human rights at the heart of care—to the systemic roadblocks of rationed packages, hospital bed bottlenecks, and a sector under intense financial and staffing pressure, this episode dives deep. Paul explains key shifts in legislation, why equity of access remains elusive, how CHSP and support-at-home models are evolving, and the big question marks hanging over provider confidence and future investment.

A candid exploration of high-stakes reform, provider survival, and what it will take to deliver truly dignified, community-centered support for older Australians.

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Stuart Hutcheon from StewartBrown returns to unpack the financial realities facing aged care providers, revealing why profitability remains out of reach and what strategic moves can rebuild sector sustainability.

They dive into the stark numbers: residential homes losing $3.10 per bed daily, workforce costs surging 60% since 2021, and the complex challenges of care minutes, technology adoption, and pricing strategies. 

A candid chat of the financial pressures, policy constraints, and potential solutions that could transform aged care from a struggling sector to a viable, patient-centered industry.

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Australia’s aged care sector has been in the red for a decade, with more than half of homes losing money. Stuart Hutcheon, Managing Partner at StewartBrown, joins Dane and Rose to unpack why viability remains elusive and what must change to rebuild confidence.

They discuss the true cost of building sustainable homes, the role of the new accommodation supplement, and how smaller, regional providers can survive as compliance and consolidation rise.

A clear-eyed look at the numbers, the policy gaps, and what it will take to make aged care genuinely sustainable.

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The long-awaited Support at Home reform has arrived, reshaping how aged care providers deliver, price, and manage care. But with the reduction to the care management fee and a shift to a fee for service model, are providers really ready?

Lorraine Poulos, Managing Director of LPA and one of the sector’s most practical voices, joins Dane and Rose to unpack what “commercial readiness” actually means, why utilization is now the number to watch, and how providers can stay compliant while maintaining genuine person-centred care.

They explore the realities behind the new assessment model, the loss of management income, the importance of clinical governance, and what a reablement-focused future might look like for home care in Australia.

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The reform promised help when you need it. The reality might be another story.

Adrian Morgan, General Manager at Flexi Care, joins us to unpack what’s going wrong, how funding gaps are leaving people without essential care, and what needs to change to help more Australians live safely and independently at home.

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Four out of five older Australians say they’d rather not enter residential aged care. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a brand crisis.

 Today’s guest is on a mission to flip that script.

Anthony Nguyen, recruiter and host of the Pioneers in Aged Care podcast, is trying to bring ‘sexy’ back to aged care—by changing the way we tell our stories, attract our workforce, and reimagine what it means to age well.

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