Leaders Summit 2026: The Next Five Years for Retirement Living and Aged Care
The DCM Group Leaders Summit 2026 wrapped up in Sydney on 24 and 25 March, bringing together more than 700 delegates and 43 speakers from across aged care and retirement living. From structural reform to technology, operational platforms and AI, the conversations across the two days pointed to a sector shifting from reactive management to strategic planning.
Planning the Next Phase of Growth
After years of navigating reform, from the Royal Commission recommendations, a new Aged Care Act and the rollout of Support at Home, operators are finding space to think strategically. The next five years are framed as an opportunity for transformation rather than ongoing compliance.
Sessions at the summit covered funding models, workforce, technology and operations platforms, AI, property development and the integration of care into community living.
Convergence with Lifestyle Asset Classes
A recurring theme across the two days was the evolution of operating models. Speakers explored how more flexible, consumer-driven approaches are becoming more widely adopted, particularly care delivered in the home and integrated lifestyle offerings such as wellness and fitness facilities, social and cultural programming, concierge and hospitality-style services and health services.
Retirement Living and Aged Care are being viewed through a broader lens, positioned alongside Build-to-Rent and other lifestyle-driven asset classes. This shift is attracting global capital, reshaping how communities are being designed, funded and operated, bringing new energy and higher expectations into the sector.
Daniel Gannon: Rethinking the Care and Independence Equation
Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon challenged a narrative he believes is distorting strategy across the sector: that more care automatically means less independence. Left unchallenged, he argued, this assumption will skew regulation and investment.
He emphasised that care is a continuum, not a binary switch between independent and in care. Many residents choose living communities precisely because the support infrastructure allows them to remain active and confident.
He pointed to residents at an Aveo village on Sydney’s Northern Beaches participating in indoor skydiving and whitewater rafting, not as feel-good anecdotes, but as demonstrations of what well-supported independence looks like in practice.
The takeaway for operators: care should enable independence, not replace it. When residents feel supported in managing everyday life, they don’t withdraw. They grow in confidence. For operators across any living sector, it’s a useful frame how services and amenities are positioned to prospective and current residents.
Tracey Burton: A Call for Structural Reform
Uniting NSW.ACT CEO Tracey Burton opened Day 2, having led the organisation for eight years through the Royal Commission, COVID-19 and the new Aged Care Act.
Her speech was a realistic assessment of what still needs to change. She outlined three financial pillars for future reform: protecting those with limited means from poorly designed co-contribution arrangements; normalising superannuation as a funding source, given Australia’s $4 trillion super pool; and driving productivity improvements across the system.
She closed with a message to the room: “The leadership of aged care in Australia sits with you. People who are prepared to speak honestly about reform and remain anchored in dignity, fairness and service.”
Workforce and Operational Pressure
Staff shortages and increasing complexity were a consistent theme. Sessions focused on how better systems, clearer processes and technology can reduce operational friction and free up time. The message was not simply to hire more people, but to make better use of those already in place by reducing administrative burden.
A connected operations platform can play a significant role here, centralising workflows, maintenance and communication so teams spend less time chasing information and more time with residents.
Technology and AI: From Optional to Essential
Technology, and particularly AI, was woven through much of the program rather than confined to a single session. Digital capability is now being discussed as central to improving efficiency, meeting compliance requirements and delivering a better resident experience. Operations platforms that connect communications and resident services in one place are increasingly seen as foundational infrastructure, not a nice-to-have.
Looking Ahead
The Summit reinforced that the next five years represent a window for transformation across aged care and retirement living. With a clear horizon ahead, the focus is shifting to how operators build smarter, more connected communities, and the role the right technology and operational platforms play in getting there.
Related Articles
- Tracey Burton outlines three pillars for aged care financial reform The Weekly Source
- ‘Reform to Reality’ Leaders Summit 2026 Tracey Burton’s ‘Reform to reality’ opening keynote Uniting NSW.ACT
- Daniel Gannon at LEADERS SUMMIT: Care in retirement living is infrastructure The Weekly Source
- StewartBrown puts data in operators’ hands with new Retirement Living Performance Report The Weekly Source
- The Real Cost of Disconnected Operations: Why Your Team Needs a Connected Operations Platform Generator
- The Hidden ROI of Resident Experience: How a Resident App Helps Operators Scale Generator
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