Time Well Spent

Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater
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Time Well Spent is a podcast exploring aged care, the NDIS, and health — through candid conversations with executives and thought leaders shaping the industry. Hosted by Dane Mitchell (Optimum Allied Health) and Rose Plater (Paynters), the show is built on authentic conversations. Each 40-60 minute episode asks bold, sometimes controversial, questions about reform, workforce, finance, design, and innovation — opening space for leaders to tell us what they really think about the industry and its future.

  1. Support at Home… But Not When You Need It: Adrian Morgan on What Went Wrong 6 Month On

    3D AGO

    Support at Home… But Not When You Need It: Adrian Morgan on What Went Wrong 6 Month On

    4,812 older Australians died waiting for the right level of home care last financial year. When Adrian Morgan last joined the podcast, he warned that Support at Home could create serious unintended consequences. Six months on, a lot of those predictions have played out. So what went wrong? In this episode, Adrian Morgan is sitting down with Dane and Rose to talk about what’s happened since the Act came into effect and whether the course can still be fixed. If you want to listen to our first episode with Adrian you can listen to it on Spotify or Apple. Key moments: 0:00 - Six months in… what has actually changed since Support at Home began? 7:59 - Co-contributions: are they quietly pushing people to refuse care altogether? 11:28 -  The prediction that the system would collapse under its own weight… is it already happening? 13:29 - Why are clients being reassessed out of services they were already receiving? 22:09 - The “black box” algorithm: who really controls the outcome of an assessment? 24:58 - Dementia, diabetes, anxiety… and told there’s “no impairment.” How is that possible? 28:32 - Are regional providers about to hit a financial breaking point? 32:49 -  Is there anything in this reform that’s actually working as intended? 36:47 -  CHSP: the only part of the system functioning well… so why merge it? 40:12 - What happens to provider viability if CHSP disappears tomorrow? 49:22 - Have peak bodies been too cautious “inside the tent?” 59:18 -  Seven changes that could stabilise Support at Home 1:04:02 - The promise list vs the reality list: affordable, simple, person-centred… or something else? 01:08:59 - If the Minister is listening… What would need to change, today?

    1h 11m
  2. Dementia and Dignity: When Love and Connection Become Organisational Strategy with CEO Jenni Hutchins

    MAR 2

    Dementia and Dignity: When Love and Connection Become Organisational Strategy with CEO Jenni Hutchins

    Most aged care organisations simply talk about dementia. Warrigal decided to formalise it, take it to the board, and make it measurable. Today Dane and Rose sit down with Jenni Hutchings, CEO of Warrigal, to talk about why Warrigal chose to formalise its approach to dementia through a 2030 Dementia Action Plan. The conversation looks at what shifts when dementia is treated as an organisational responsibility, and what it actually means to place love, connection, and dignity at the centre of decision making. Not just in language, but when it’s embedded in an organisation's systems, training, and staff accountability. Read Warrigal’s Dementia Action Plan here. Key moments: 0:00 - Why Warrigal decided to put dementia on the board agenda, and what changes once it’s treated as a leadership issue 6:15 - What it takes to turn dignity and dementia into something measurable, rather than values on a page 9:15 - What organisations learn once their commitments are made public and measurable 10:01 - Why Warrigal chose to formally teach touch and connection in dementia care 16:30 - Leadership advice from a CEO to 2,500 staff and 600 volunteers 22:00 - How intergenerational care programs are changing more than just workforce supply 27:20 - The reaction from younger staff that challenges commonly believed assumptions about aged care 30:12 - Where the current funding models stop lining up with how residents actually experience care 34:36 - The kinds of innovation that policy settings are ruling out today 52:00 - Supporting people at home: an outcome the system simply isn’t equipped for 53:51 - If loneliness sits underneath so many outcomes, why it still isn’t treated as a core policy issue?

    55 min
  3. What’s changed After the New Aged Care Act & Support At Home Roll Out (and what hasn’t) with Paul Sadler

    FEB 23

    What’s changed After the New Aged Care Act & Support At Home Roll Out (and what hasn’t) with Paul Sadler

    The last time we had Paul Sadler on the podcast, we spoke about the upcoming reforms to the Support at Home program that were due to go live in November. The reforms are now live and for many older Australians and providers, the reality looks very different to what was promised. We wanted to get Paul back on the show to talk about exactly what has happened after the roll out of the Support at Home program and the new Aged Care Act.  From algorithms that are deciding the fate of service providers without any professional opinion, to funding decisions that are reshaping access to care, we have a lot of questions. Key moments: 00:00 - The last minute decision assessors were told about the day before rollout02:02 - What happens when an algorithm decides eligibility and clinicians can’t override it03:24 - People are being assessed as ineligible or far lower than their needs suggest07:18 - Why this is being compared to robo debt 13:16 - Why people are choosing to stay in CHSP despite higher assessed needs14:43 - When providers are pushed into regulatory risk without funding16:19 - Interim funding at 60% is becoming the default entry point19:15 - Who decides which 40% of assessed care gets ignored 23:38 - The immediate changes that could be made without new legislation 30:19 - Pricing, claims, and what providers still can’t get clear answers on34:35 - Why hardship applications are already increasing 36:31 - What’s actually changed in residential aged care under the new Act 45:23 - Why new beds aren’t being built, especially in regional areas48:21 - Where innovation is happening despite the pressure on the system 53:00 - “The least broken part of the system”  and why it’s now at risk

    55 min
  4. Service, Humility, and the Quiet Work of Caring with Dane and Rose

    12/17/2025

    Service, Humility, and the Quiet Work of Caring with Dane and Rose

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  5. Why Every Aged Care Provider Has Payroll Errors and What to Do About It with Siobhain Simpson

    12/08/2025

    Why Every Aged Care Provider Has Payroll Errors and What to Do About It with Siobhain Simpson

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    53 min
  6. AI, Aged Care & the Automation Revolution with Rob Covino, CEO MIRUS Australia

    12/01/2025

    AI, Aged Care & the Automation Revolution with Rob Covino, CEO MIRUS Australia

    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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 3m
  7. You’ve had a cyber breach – now what? Why providers need to be prepared with Reece Corbett-Wilkins

    11/24/2025

    You’ve had a cyber breach – now what? Why providers need to be prepared with Reece Corbett-Wilkins

    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 Follow Atmos on LinkedIn  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  8. The hidden cost of hospitals acting as aged care waiting rooms and more - with Paul Sadler

    11/17/2025

    The hidden cost of hospitals acting as aged care waiting rooms and more - with Paul Sadler

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min
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About

Time Well Spent is a podcast exploring aged care, the NDIS, and health — through candid conversations with executives and thought leaders shaping the industry. Hosted by Dane Mitchell (Optimum Allied Health) and Rose Plater (Paynters), the show is built on authentic conversations. Each 40-60 minute episode asks bold, sometimes controversial, questions about reform, workforce, finance, design, and innovation — opening space for leaders to tell us what they really think about the industry and its future.

Information

  • Creator
    Dane Mitchell and Rose Plater
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Time Well Spent
  • Show Website
    Time Well Spent

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