Positive Ageing Summit returns in 2027

How aged care providers can better incorporate allied health, rehabilitation and wellness into everyday practice will be a central focus of the Positive Ageing Summit when it returns in May 2027.

Presented by Positive Impact Media and The Ageing Agenda, the event enters its third year, bringing together aged care providers, executives, allied health professionals, clinicians, policymakers, researchers and service partners to explore practical strategies for improving independence, wellbeing and quality of life for older Australians.

One of the summit’s key objectives is to bridge the gap between evidence and implementation, says Dr Tim Henwood, conference advisor and AgeFIT Solutions principal consultant.

“We want people to be able to take ideas and embed them into practice,” he told The Ageing Agenda. “We’re not a strictly academic conference. We don’t want to tell people about the research till the cows come home. We want to show people what they need to do to make reablement normal practice in their organisations.” 

Dr Henwood said aged care providers are increasingly recognising the role rehabilitation and wellness services can play in supporting independence and quality of life, particularly as sector reforms place greater emphasis on person-centred care.

“There’s still a lot of aged care providers who aren’t embedding reablement into their practice, or the providers who are doing it probably aren’t doing it to the fullest extent and doing it well,” he said. 

“Our mission is to help providers jump that hump, and not only embrace reablement but do it to the best of their ability, so older people, and staff, have better outcomes.” 

Advisory group informs 2027 line-up

The 2027 program is being shaped by an advisory committee comprising consumer, provider, governance, allied health and academic representatives, with organisers aiming to balance evidence, lived experience and practical application.

Advisory committee members include:

• Lorraine Poulos
• Simon Kerrigan
• Dr Justin Keogh
• Dr Jennie Hewitt
• Judith Leeson.

Among the confirmed keynote speakers are leading geriatrician and researcher Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh, who will examine the role of resistance training in supporting health and independence, and Dr Jennie Hewitt from the University of Sydney Whiddon, who will focus on translating evidence into practice within aged care settings.

The program will also include the presentation of the annual Paul Johnson Award, which recognises individuals making an outstanding contribution to positive ageing. BallyCara executive chairman Marcus Riley and 2026 award recipient Adjunct Professor Tanya Davison are also returning as part of the session.

The dementia-themed breakfast masterclass is back and will be held on the morning of 13 May. Presented by HammondCare, the 2027 masterclass will offer practical advice and resources that can be embedded directly into practice.

Drawing on his experience leading allied health and wellness services in aged care, Dr Henwood said organisations that embrace reablement often see benefits extending beyond resident outcomes.

“It’s very much about changing a mindset, and reinforcing that change of mindset through current evidence and best practice,” he said. “It’s about the organisations prepared to change the way they do things and prioritise new activities within their frameworks to then have better outcomes for their clients and for the organisation in general.” 

The Positive Ageing Summit will be held on 12–13 May 2027 at the Amora Hotel Adelaide. Registrations are now open.