2026 Paul Johnson Positive Ageing Award

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The Paul Johnson Award presented by BallyCara returns to celebrate outstanding individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in promoting positive ageing for older Australians.

Nominations for the Paul Johnson Award is now officially open.

Nominations Now Open

Nominate Here

Honouring Leadership in Positive Ageing

The Paul Johnson Positive Ageing Award celebrates outstanding individuals in the aged care sector who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in promoting positive ageing for older Australians.

Named in memory of Paul Johnson OAM, a visionary leader whose dedication to reablement, health, and wellness transformed aged care, this award recognises those who, like Paul, are committed to ensuring that age is never a barrier to living well. Paul, who passionately pursued healthy active ageing at not-for-profit aged care provider BallyCara, was posthumously awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2025 for his services to aged welfare.

Award & Recognition

Prize: $1,500 award sponsored by BallyCara
Presentation: The award will be presented by Marcus Riley, Executive Chairman of BallyCara, as part of the final session of day 1 at the Positive Ageing Summit 2026

Eligibility & Criteria

The award is open to individuals working within the aged care sector, specifically those employed by an aged care provider or aged care provider service.

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Exceptional leadership in driving initiatives that champion positive ageing.
• Tangible impact in enhancing the wellbeing, independence, and dignity of older Australians.
• Innovation in reablement, health, wellness, or aged care practices.
• Vision for the future, with clear strategies to expand or sustain their contributions.

Applicants are required to submit a structured application that includes:

• Personal journey (150 words) – A brief overview of their aged care career and personal commitment to positive ageing.
• Program summary (500 words) – A detailed description of their initiative, project, or body of work.
• Impact (250 words) – Measurable outcomes and demonstrated benefits for older Australians.
• Future actions (150 words) – Plans for sustaining and scaling the initiative or contribution.
• Supporting references (100 words) – Testimonials or endorsements from colleagues, partners, or those directly impacted.

Applicants will be assessed based on:

All applications will be reviewed by a panel of industry leaders, ensuring a rigorous and fair process:

• Process – Each panellist independently reviews and scores applications (1-5 per criteria + overall score). The panel then convenes to select finalists and the award recipient.
• Integrity – Panel members will only assess applications where no conflict of interest exists.

Nominations Close

Thursday, 2 April 2026
Email info@positiveageingsummit.com.au for more information.

Eldercare's Bernard Morrison is 2025 Paul Johnson Award Winner

Bernard Morrison, an occupational therapist and general manager wellbeing and allied programs, is the winner of the Paul Johnson Positive Ageing Award for his integrated wellbeing strategy implemented across Eldercare’s 13 aged care homes in South Australia. Mr Morrison told the audience that the award was an opportunity for him to reflect on his achievements and the impact his wellbeing strategy has had on people.

“We’re all here for a common purpose and I really genuinely hope that this is the first of many Positive Ageing Summits. But most of all I offer my heartfelt thanks to Eldercare who I think boldly chose to pursue a wellbeing strategy over seven years ago and my extraordinary team of subject matter experts who every day so passionately ask ‘how can we create the conditions where older people in residential care can thrive?’ And then working together, putting in place those innovative strategies and services that enable that change to take place,” Mr Morrison told the summit.

2025 Paul Johnson Award Finalists

(Simon Kerrigan of Guide Healthcare, Bernard Morrison of Eldercare followed by Ballycara’s Executive Chairman, Marcus Riley which himself
awarded the winner and Shehan Fernando of Plena Healthcare)