Flett wants action on ageing

Penny Flett has the passion and enthusiasm for her work more often associated with a recent graduate than a 20-year veteran in the field.

But after two decades at the Brightwater Care Group, the past nine as CEO, Dr Flett says she’s not going anywhere.

“I love my job and what I do, and that I get to come back every day,” Dr Flett said.

“I love old people and respect their wisdom – they have experienced life and have so much to tell you.”

As CEO of WA’s largest aged care group since 1996, Dr Flett has taken the organisation (which also provides care for the young) from two sites to 20 and doubled the number of beds provided to more than 1,000.

“There have been the most massive changes in care facilities and we have grown while utterly decentralising and shifting to non-institutional care,” she said.

“It has been a major management and leadership challenge, and an investment of $30 to $40 million, and it has been my pleasure and privilege to be involved.

 “We have become much more sophisticated and I say with confidence that we would hold our head up against any other business, but that we just happen to be in the area of human services.”

Currently on the boards of the Water Corporation, the National Seniors Association, and the first chairman of the Accreditation Agency Board, Dr Flett is also involved in other organisations about which she is passionate.

“I sit on the council of the Bravery Decorations Award Council, which is just so humbling and amazing. I also sit on the St Georges College council, which I love too,” Dr Flett said.

As a CEO who has been known to work in sneakers and jeans and fold sheets in Brightwater’s industrial laundry, Dr Flett is the embodiment of the culture she has created.

“My people are my diamonds and I have to make sure they sparkle,” she told WA Business News.

“Our purpose is to enable wellbeing, and we have a very strong culture based on personhood – respect for every person, resident, client or staff, is integral.”

With women comprising 95 per cent of the staff, the challenges facing Dr Flett are markedly different to other industries, but acknowledges that men still outnumber women in the senior ranks of the medical profession and healthcare industry.

“I have truly struggled in circumstances where men outnumber women and have been in situations where that has been too difficult to cope with, but I have also been in situations where it has been a delight,” Dr Flett said.

“It isn’t a men’s or women’s issue, and it is not until people understand that a combination is the best result that the issue will be solved.”

Although a lot of attention is given to the issue of an ageing population, Dr Flett is critical of what is being done to cater for numbers expected to double within one generation.

“I get very passionate and can’t tolerate the status quo – I am so aware that the future is on us every day and we as a society have to have a serious think about aged care,” she said.

“We know what the numbers are going to be, but nothing is being done about it.

“We need a lot more imagination, dreaming and enthusiasm, because the next aged generation will demand choices.”

PENNY FLETT

• Brightwater CEO for nine years.
• On boards of the Water Corporation, the National Seniors Association.
• First chair of the Accreditation Agency board.