Burnie Brae on Tour: Insights from Rome

Aynsley Johnson, Head of Care Services at Burnie Brae recently spent five inspiring days in Rome for professional development, thanks to the generous invitation from Australian Catholic University and the National Care Workforce Alliance (NaCWA).

Alongside leaders from across the care sector, she explored key themes shaping aged care today—partnerships, consumer advocacy, civil society, human development, leadership, and above all, hope.

The trip offered a unique opportunity to learn from the Italian aged care system and engage in global dialogue around ethical leadership, co-housing models, and the role of technology in preserving dignity in ageing.

“Hope was the thread that tied it all together—hope for ageing populations, for stronger connections, and for more compassionate systems,” says Aynsley. “I’m excited to bring these insights back to Burnie Brae and continue shaping care that truly makes a difference.”

Over the course of the week, a number of powerful themes and experiences stood out - each offering valuable insight into how we can continue to reimagine and elevate aged care in Australia. Here are some of Aynsley's personal reflections from this incredible journey:

Rome Reflections Part 1

A visit to the Pontifical Academy for Life, where leaders in science, religion and policy are uniting to champion cultural change in the way we care for older people – shifting away from institutionalisation and towards community, connection and compassion. Their work in AI ethics and legislation has global relevance, and it was inspiring to see how aged care can be reframed as a vital part of societal wellbeing.

Rome Reflections Part 2: Vulnerability and Value

“Vulnerability is not weakness - it’s the space where we recognise each other’s humanity.”

One of the most thought-provoking sessions during my week in Rome was a presentation by worldwide PhD students (including industry friend and Australia’s own Lachie Green ) via the Australian Catholic University exploring the topic of vulnerability.

While many of the areas being studied were not specific to the caring sector, we were able to view their findings so far in the context of aged and community care. Drawing on comparative theology, bioethics, and environmental ethics, it challenged us to see vulnerability not as a problem to be solved, but as a connection we all share.

It made me reflect deeply on the models of care we work within. What if our systems were designed to honour vulnerability rather than manage it? What if care was a space of mutual recognition, not just clinical service?

In our Australian context, where aged care is often medicalised and transactional, there’s something powerful about reimagining vulnerability as a connective thread. Aged care is not just about meeting needs—it’s about belonging.

Rome Reflections Part 3: The Silver Economy and the Importance of Honouring the Aged

During our visit to the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, we were introduced to a powerful vision of aged care reframed as the “Silver Economy.” Not as a burden, but as a vital and enriching part of society.

This body is working to shift cultural attitudes towards ageing - elevating the role of grandparents, encouraging intergenerational relationships, and centring the person rather than the condition. Something I feel we do really well in Australia however can always grow and do better.

One African belief shared that will stay with me forever is when an older person dies it is seen as the equivalent of a library burning down. I feel that to my core!

That line captures the depth of knowledge, memory, and identity that resides in our elders. It reminded me that aged care is not only about support - it’s about honour. How do we protect these living libraries? How do we ensure they’re read, respected, and remembered?

Rome Reflections Part 4: Innovation in Action – Sant’Egidio Community Hub

One of the standout visits in Rome was to the Sant’Egidio Community Health Hub, San Bartolomeo Project providing access to health services for the most fragile in Rome.

This part of the pilot initiative is a lifeline for those over 80 who are often overlooked by traditional healthcare. With 50% of participants living alone, the program provides comprehensive assessment and referral services—all free of charge.

A team of dedicated professionals spend all day, every day working through a lengthy database list of ageing community members and either via phone or home visit, first build a friendship, trust and connection, before even considering mentioning linkage with the hub.

Once engaged with the hub each community member has the chance to attend either a Tuesday or Thursday to meet with assessors and be screened for social isolation, falls risks and other frailty indicators with GP partnership and specialised care plans built. An experience I was privileged to sit and observe and even provide my own professional input into for an attending participant (language barrier and all 😄).

Operating out of a old church turned hospital turned makeshift health hub; it’s an extraordinary example of integrated, person-centred care working outside of institutional models. The focus is not just on health, but on connection - reminding us that loneliness is often more dangerous than illness.

This kind of hub-based care could have transformative potential in Australia, particularly in communities where access is uneven and social isolation is growing. It’s a compelling model of what it means to truly support our aged population.

Rome Reflections Part 5: Co-Housing with Heart – A Home, Not a Facility

At the heart of the Sant’Egidio movement is love and community - and nowhere was that clearer than in our visit to one of their co-housing communities for the aged.

Once a religious residence, the building has been transformed into 12 beautiful yet homely apartments over three floors. The top level offers 24-hour care for residents who need more support, but the feel of the place is anything but clinical.

There’s a library, a small cinema, a garden, a gym, and perhaps most beautifully—a weekly shared lunch where residents bring meals, invite friends from other housing complexes, and eat together like one big family.

92 year old Sophia, a resident, opened her home to us and shared stories of her childhood and the war. Her apartment was beautifully furnished with her own antique furniture, personal items (including a picture of her meeting the Pope) and aside from a commode by the bed, not a single impersonal grey clinical generic mobility aid could be seen. It was her home!

Each person here is treated as unique. There is no “standard care plan” - only a commitment to personalised, dignified care over a lifetime.

This is aged care reimagined - not as a service, but as a community. And it’s built on the simplest of values: empathy, community, and respect.

Final Rome Reflections: Hope Does Not Disappoint

As our final day in Rome came to a close, we were honoured to be hosted for afternoon tea by Australia's Ambassador-designate to the Holy See, HR the Hon Keith Pitt, and Mrs Allison Pitt. We were also joined by the HE Julianne Cowley, Australian Ambassador to Italy.

We shared stores of not only areas for advocacy and improvement in the Australian aged care system, but also the successes and wins our collective organisations are already celebrating when it comes to what good aged care looks like.

It was a meaningful end to a week rich in ideas - bringing together care, innovation, community, connection and above all, hope.

Hope that aged care can be more than a system.
Hope that community can be strengthened across generations and cultures.
Hope that we can honour those who came before us - not just with words, but with thoughtful, lasting action.

The theme of the week was "hope does not disappoint". After everything I've seen and experienced, I believe that more than ever.

I am grateful for the new and renewed industry friendships forged thanks to Jo Jones, Darlene Dreise, Virginia Bourke, Virginia Ryan, Adrian Morgan, Joy Parkinson, Angela Nolan, Lynn Bailey, Brigid M., Michael Hart and Deb Clark. It was a pleasure sharing the week with passionate and like-minded care professionals. Connections that we'll continue well beyond Rome.

Lastly, a deep and heartful thank you to the Australian Catholic University for the invitation, Professor Laurie Buys for the incredible planning and program, and most importantly to Andrew Watson and the Burnie Brae Board for the opportunity to represent our organisation internationally.

This trip (of a lifetime and career!) taught me so much, but also cemented that the Burnie Brae model of community, social connection and care - built by the very community members we support, is one that we can be proud of as an outstanding example of what good community aged care looks like not only in Australia, but internationally as well.

Looking forward to seeing what we achieve next with these incredible learnings - and how they’ll continue to shape and strengthen the care services we offer at Burnie Brae, both now and into the future.