A few years ago, I attended a four-day workshop on death and dying. I expected it to be uncomfortable. Instead, it was practical, at times confronting, and, unexpectedly, fun. This was due to how it was facilitated by Dr Abby Buckley, who has spent her life studying and speaking about death.

I was reminded of those discussions when I read the article I’m linking this week. It looks at what happens after death, specifically the environmental impacts of burial and cremation. It then examines the growing interest in “green” options, including natural burial, water cremation, and human composting, which are often presented as lower-impact and more meaningful alternatives.

The article’s argument is measured. It doesn’t dismiss these approaches, but it does question how confidently their environmental benefits are claimed. It points to gaps in evidence, and the limits of treating death as an individual ethical choice. Where it aligns closely with Abby’s work is in its conclusion: that what’s really needed is better standards, clearer information, and sector-wide education, so decisions about death are grounded in evidence, rather than marketing (or guilt).

Research from the US National Bureau of Economic Research set out to measure which workers are most vulnerable to AI displacement. For personal care workers, it found something else entirely, and that’s why I thought it’d be quite relevant for me to share on here.

The study examined nearly 4 million home health and personal care aides, the largest single occupational group in America. Their AI exposure ranked in the 13th percentile among all occupations studied, meaning very low exposure to AI disruption. The hands-on nature of the work (bathing, dressing, mobility assistance) does not lend itself to current AI capabilities.

But the research also measured what the authors call "adaptive capacity": the ability of workers to navigate job transitions if displaced for any reason. This measure combines liquid savings, skill transferability, geographic density of employment opportunities, and age.

This practically means that despite the fact that caregiving skills transfer reasonably well to other roles, low wages, older age, and minimal wealth accumulation leave them exposed to any shock—illness, injury, policy changes, or economic downturns. So, the major risk is not AI, but rather economic fragility. [A note of interest here: unlike care workers, registered nurses have adaptive capacity at the 79th percentile and median liquid wealth of $44,000.]

The Australian aged care workforce shares similar characteristics with the American one. Personal care workers here are also predominantly female, often casual or part-time, and among the lowest paid in the country. A significant proportion are aged 50 and over. Low wages and insecure hours limit wealth accumulation regardless of compulsory superannuation.

Australian workforce policy in aged care has focused on wages, training pipelines, and migration settings. But workers with minimal savings and limited years until retirement are exposed to these disruptions whether or not technology plays any role.

Whether current strategies account for the financial fragility of the existing workforce is a separate question, and one we should be examining as a sector.

PS: This does not mean the workforce is disengaged or pessimistic. HESTA’s 2024–25 workforce report shows improving sentiment in aged care, with 64% of workers reporting they enjoy their work, up 10 percentage points since 2020. Around 40% say their work energises them, ranking the sector second across health and community services, while pride and optimism have returned to pre-2022 levels.

These results point to stronger morale and capability, but do not change the underlying issue raised above: low savings and limited time to retirement leave many workers financially exposed to shocks.

Tuesday 10 March, 12–1pm AEDT | Online | Free

Board members, CEOs, and managers have been asking the questions: How do we actually use ChatGPT for documentation? What happens if staff upload resident data? How do we implement AI without triggering compliance issues?

So I brought together the people who can actually answer them.

This panel includes:

I'm genuinely excited about this one. It's rare to have the regulator perspective, the provider experience, and the technical expertise in the same (online) room—ready to answer your questions directly.

If you're responsible for AI decisions at your organisation and want practical answers instead of speculation, this session is for you.

Submit your questions simply by replying to this email.

Wednesday 11 March, 12–1:30pm AEDT | Online | Free

I'm presenting alongside Elena Muller in this session on how providers can prepare for the demographic and technological shifts reshaping aged care.

My segment covers how AI and operational technology can help home care providers grow and adapt as client expectations and workforce realities outpace traditional service models.

Elena will unpack how migration patterns and evolving consumer expectations across cultural groups will reshape service delivery, workforce requirements, and operations over the next two decades.

This session is designed for providers working with culturally diverse communities—or planning to.

If you haven't developed AI guidelines yet, these two resources make it easier to start. First, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing published their AI transparency statement earlier this month, outlining their approach. Providers can adapt this statement as a foundation for their own policies. If you are looking for something more in-depth, and with examples, at the AI Adoption Workgroup we developed a Guidelines Template specifically for aged care, covering staff responsibilities when using AI for administration, client communication, and report writing. The template is free and you can customise it as you see fit for your organisation.

After moving from Brazil to Canada, the animator Raquel Sancinetti befriended a woman named Madeleine who, aged 102, was 67 years her senior. Sancinetti’s celebrated short film Madeleine features audio drawn from many warm conversations between the two, by the end of which Madeleine was 107. Their warm and often funny reflections on life, age and memory unfold as a gentle portrait of intergenerational friendship. 

A UK study following 590,000 people over 8 years found that even minor changes in sleep, exercise and diet were associated with significant gains in healthy life expectancy. Just five extra minutes of sleep per night, two additional minutes of moderate exercise daily, and modest dietary improvements were linked to roughly one additional healthy year. Larger gains (up to four extra healthy years) came from combining half an hour more sleep, four extra minutes of daily exercise, and further dietary improvements.

Worth noting that the benefits only appeared when these behaviours occurred together; diet alone had no measurable effect. The study used wearable devices rather than self-reported data, strengthening the findings, though the authors noted that healthy behaviours tend to cluster with higher education and financial security, structural factors that individual lifestyle changes alone cannot address.

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that lives on your computer and does things on your behalf (managing your inbox, your calendar, browsing the web, ordering groceries), all via the apps you already use (think Whatsapp). It's not a chatbot you type questions into; it acts autonomously, builds its own skills, and remembers you over time. Created by a solo developer (!) just weeks ago (!), it's already been downloaded tens of thousands of times. If you're a more technically minded reader, you can try it yourself at openclaw.ai. If not, keep an eye on this space: I think within a few months this kind of AI will become commonplace. 

This is the moment AI shifts from something you talk to into something that works for you, and that's going to fundamentally change how we think about what AI can do.

Thursday 26 February, 12–4pm AEDT | Online | Free

A half-day symposium for CHSP executives and HR leaders focused on recruitment and retention. The session challenges common assumptions about the aged care workforce and presents evidence-based trends, economic impacts, and practical strategies. I will be joining a panel on Retention Strategies and Solutions, with a focus on tech adoption and practical solutions. Register Here

Wednesday 12 February, 1pm AEDT | Online | Free

iLA is previewing their new AI prototype, developed as part of the Australian Government's Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy. The tool is designed to help care partners generate and review care plans in as little as 15 minutes using voice or text input on a mobile app. The session will also cover iLA's VR and AR pilot projects, including immersive training modules for support workers and augmented reality tools for demonstrating assistive technology in real environments. Register Here

Tuesday 18 February, 11:30am AEDT | Online | Free

ECCQ's Multicultural Partners team is running a practical workshop on building inclusive volunteer programs. The session challenges the "volunteer shortage" narrative and explores how to engage volunteers from culturally diverse communities. Facilitated by Gigi Lacey. Register Here

Every week, I'm looking into the changes shaping ageing and aged care, and sharing analysis worth your time. If this was useful, forward it to someone in the sector who'd appreciate it.

George Gouzounis