Thursday Three - 09 Jul 2026

• NAIDOC week celebrates 50 Years of Deadly 
• AAG SECG presents: Real-world lessons in aged care implementation research 
• July AJA Research Spotlight: Pharmacists' perspectives on deprescribing
  

NAIDOC week celebrates 50 Years of Deadly

For five decades NAIDOC week has been a time of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pride, culture, resilience and leadership. This year’s theme honours the Elders, advocates, artists and communities who started and sustained this movement, while recognising the progress achieved through generations of determination and resistance. We acknowledge and pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to Elders past and present, whose enduring wisdom and connection to Country continue to guide us.

This year’s commemorative artwork ‘Paralpi’ (pictured below) is by Yankunytjatjara man Zaachariaha Fielding, an Adelaide-based multi-disciplinary artist from the Mimili community on the APY Lands in South Australia. Read more about the artwork and NAIDOC week.

New Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner

AAG welcomes the appointment of the new Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, Ms Jodi Cassar. Commissioner Cassar is a proud Kamilaroi/Gamilaroi woman with more than 20 years’ experience leading complex government reform and has been appointed pending the appointment of a permanent Commissioner.

As acting First Assistant Secretary in the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Ms Cassar (pictured below) has led significant national reform initiatives and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2023 for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. She succeeds inaugural Interim Commissioner Andrea Kelly, whose landmark report Transforming Aged Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and extensive engagement with First Nations communities, have laid the foundation for aged care reform.

Ms Cassar takes up the role at a critical time, helping guide the transition to a permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner as the Government progresses enabling legislation. Last week the government also released its response to the Commissioner Kelly's landmark report, which AAG welcomes.

NATSIAAC Joint Statement on Overdue Action in Aged Care Reform

AAG welcomes these positive developments, as we remain committed to advocating for and helping create an aged care system that upholds the dignity and quality of life for Elders and older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We bring attention to the Joint Statement spearheaded by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council (NATSIAACC) cosigned by a diverse range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector representatives. The Statement calls for the implementation of aged care reform in alignment with the Priority Reform Areas under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including genuine, shared decision-making and strengthening the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector. We support this call

AAG SECG presents: Real-world lessons in aged care implementation research

Tuesday, 14th July 2026 | 1:30pm to 2:30pm AEST | via Zoom

Free registration for AAG Members | $50 for non-members | ANZSGM, NZAG & GCA members free with discount code.

Evidence-based practice, knowledge translation, quality improvement, implementation, change management, research impact - whatever you call it - we all strive to advance care and wellbeing for older people. But innovation and change in our dynamic aged care sector is complex.

In this webinar, experienced implementation researchers will share practical insights gained from conducting and supporting implementation research in aged care. Panellists will explore reflections on successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Whether you are new to implementation research or looking to strengthen your current work, this session will provide valuable perspectives, practical tips, and opportunities to learn from real-world experience of implementation research in aged care.

 Find out more and register today!

July AJA Research Spotlight: Pharmacists' perspectives on deprescribing

We love showcasing the research of our members!

This month we’re pleased to highlight the research of AAG members Dr Aili Langford and Aisling McEvoy, who contributed to a study on the challenges of deprescribing from the pharmacist’s perspective:

…Deprescribing is the process of withdrawal of inappropriate medications, supervised by a clinician with the goal of reducing polypharmacy and improving outcomes. The benefits of deprescribing range from decreasing the number of PIMs (and therefore pill burden, costs and risk of adverse drug reactions) to a potential reduction in mortality. The hospital inpatient environment is potentially a good setting to initiate deprescribing, for reasons such as the opportunity to reassess medications on admission (e.g., in the context of changed goals of care) with time to engage in discussions with inpatients, access to clinical resources and capacity for close monitoring. Additionally, it has been shown that nearly 90% of older hospitalised patients are open to having a medication deprescribed. However, barriers to deprescribing in the inpatient environment include the acute care context (i.e., the need to focus on the acute problem), short lengths of stays, difficulties accessing information needed to inform deprescribing and lack of confidence in the transition of care process. Fear of consequences (mainly adverse drug withdrawal events) and therapeutic inertia have also been reported as limitations to implementing deprescribing strategies in hospital…

Read more at the Australasian Journal on Ageing.