Right now, a lot of Allied Health businesses are trying to secure a spot on the ‘preferred provider’ lists of registered aged care providers. The default model has become a situation whereby the aged care provider manages the primary compliance (although there is a growing responsibility for brokered providers – more on that later), administrative requirements and client onboarding, and you just deliver the therapy.
But there’s a hidden catch. The older person receiving the care doesn’t actually get to choose you, rather they’re assigned whoever’s already on the list. This effectively removes that initial connection and commitment to your business specifically because your client hasn’t been through that process of choice.
Our question to you is – why can’t choice be a part of the process for older Australians?
The problem
The system supports the aged care provider to hold the power and control, which effectively means giving away part of our professional voice. Allied Health has always been about person-centred care and meeting people where they are, understanding their goals, and tailoring support.
Yet, in this model, we’re often invisible until someone else decides we’re needed.
What can we do to have a bigger voice and a little more control in the process?
What if we started talking to the right people?
Rather than waiting for the referral to drop in, what if we started speaking directly to the older Australians who could benefit from our help as well as the family members or carers who advocate for them? These are people who are often frustrated by the lack of choice in their aged care supports. They don’t know that they can request you by name. Sure, it might be a process to have your business added to that provider’s list and there may be some negotiation around your fee schedule with both the provider and the client – but it absolutely can be done.
The key is to be clear about the difference your service makes, whether it’s safer mobility, reduced falls, clearer communication, or better swallowing safety. They’re far more likely to ask their registered provider to add you to the list if they can see and understand the benefits of using your support specifically.
How to start doing it differently
Ultimately this becomes a marketing challenge for you and your business. Who are your marketing audience for your older Australian client group? Is it the clients themselves or is it their children, grandchildren and carers?
Once you have figured the audience issue out, have a good think about which problems your work can solve through their eyes? What is the focus for the client? What are their family most concerned about when it comes to their loved one?
- Explain your value in plain language – Write posts or short videos that describe what you do and why it matters in everyday life. How can your work solve the challenges that older Australians are experiencing?
- Show up where older people and carers already are – think seniors’ expos, GP waiting rooms, social media community groups, church newsletters, or local papers.
- Share real examples – Talk about the outcomes your clients achieve in functional terms, think mobility, participation, dignity.
- Invite choice – Include an educational element for families that lets them know that they can request their preferred Allied Health provider under their aged care funding. They will need to tell the registered provider and insist that they accept their choice and facilitate the process to facilitate it.
- Be ready to back it up – Make sure your policies, insurance, and documentation meet the aged care provider’s standards so you’re easy to onboard when asked.
Taking back our seat at the table
If we want a stronger voice in the aged care system, we need to show up where the decisions start – in the living rooms, kitchen tables, and family conversations about who provides care. Allied Health Business Owners have always been experts in improving quality of life. It’s time we made sure people in aged care know they can choose who delivers that care — and that they can choose you.
If you want to better understand how your business is currently positioned, and where you may be more reliant on referrals than you realise, take our Allied Health Biz Quiz – it takes less than five minutes, and it offers a high-level snapshot of your business foundations, highlighting areas of strength, risk and opportunity so you can make more informed decisions about visibility, growth and sustainability.
Take our Biz Quiz and get clearer on your next best steps here.
