challenges in aged care run deep: no leader should go it alone
Leading in aged care and community health isn’t for the faint-hearted. The sector is constantly evolving, juggling complex regulations, workforce shortages, and the emotional weight of caring for vulnerable people. It’s a tough gig, and no leader should be left to navigate it solo.
At Hyphae Network, we believe leadership thrives when it’s connected. By linking leaders across roles and generations, we create an ecosystem where wisdom flows freely, and capability blossoms. It’s not just about surviving — it’s about shaping a future where aged care leadership is resilient, innovative, and supported.
So, whether you’re a first-time manager, a seasoned director, or somewhere in between, remember: leadership is a journey best travelled together. Our mentoring programs and consulting services are designed to help you find your way, with plenty of quirky, no-nonsense support along the path.
Hyphae exists to help leaders and organisations in health and aged care grow stronger through connection, not in isolation.
Our Story
Hyphae grew from the Acorn Network, a mentoring community that connected 400+ professionals across Australia between 2017 and 2021. Over 90% of mentors returned year after year, not because it looked good on their CV, but because they finally felt supported in an industry that asks everything and gives little back.
We know what isolation costs. We've seen brilliant nurses leave after six months. Watched experienced care workers burn out alone. Counted the true price when 85% of our workforce is over 35 and no one's coming up behind them.
As the need for scalable, evidence-based mentoring grew, Acorn evolved into Hyphae. We expanded into consulting, capability uplift, and thought leadership – because mentoring alone won't fix a workforce crisis this deep.
Just like mycelium threads beneath a forest, Hyphae builds the hidden connections that make survival possible.
What We Do
Mentoring Programs: Infrastructure that scales. 73% report stronger leadership confidence. 67% gain career clarity. 63% keep meeting after programs end.
Consulting: Reform-ready solutions backed by real data. We've influenced national policy, secured $2.5M+ in funding, and helped organisations cut turnover by a third.
Weekly Newsletter: No fluff insights on workforce reform and leadership. Tools that work in the real world, not just in theory.
Why It Matters
The Evidence
The numbers that keep us up at night:
Less than 15% of aged care workers are under 35
Median age is 49 – 12 years older than Australia's workforce average
We need 200,000+ additional workers by 2030 to meet demand
Training pipelines currently produce around 40,000 graduates a year — if they stay.
And within five years, one in three aged care executives is expected to retire or leave the sector
The human cost we see daily:
Care workers making life-and-death decisions with no senior support
Graduates leaving after their first night shift
Experienced staff too burned out to mentor
Families navigating a system that’s breaking the people trying to hold it together.
Every connection we build today is infrastructure for tomorrow's crisis.
As one partner put it:
“Our organisation saw stronger collaboration between leaders who’d never worked together before. That connection continues today.”
From 400+ program participants:
73% grew in leadership confidence
67% gained clearer career direction
82% of mentors sharpened their own practice
90%+ mentor return rate year after year
63% of pairs kept meeting independently
As one facility manager (who started as a care worker in our program) said: "For the first time, I wasn't drowning. I was building."
Join Us
The strongest networks grow quietly, like mycelium beneath the forest floor. But when crisis hits, they're what keeps the whole system standing.
We're building that network now. Before it's too late.
About Samantha Bowen
Samantha Bowen is the founder of Hyphae Network and has spent more than a decade at the frontline of aged care reform, workforce strategy, and leadership innovation.
The credentials executives need:
Principal Advisor, LASA Next Gen – built a national leadership network for emerging executives (now part of Ageing Australia after the LASA–ACSA merger).
Program Manager, Alzheimer’s WA – managed a $2M+ consulting and education portfolio, securing $1.8M in funding and delivering WA’s 10-year Dementia Symposium (320+ delegates).
Senior Project Manager, Silverchain – led emergency communications and protocols for 2,500+ staff, ensuring continuity of care for 10,000+ vulnerable clients during high-risk events.
Board & Advisory roles – including CommonAge (CHOGM representation) and NHMRC (dementia research strategy).
The results that matter:
Connected 400+ professionals through licensed and public mentoring programs.
Achieved a 90% mentor return rate – virtually unheard of in aged care.
Shaped national workforce policy through direct contribution and advocacy.
Built infrastructure that scales – mentoring frameworks and system tools that keep working long after programs end.
The truth mentees need to hear:
She's been where you are. She's built what you need. And she's still here fighting for the sector that nearly broke her too.
🐨 Find her on LinkedIn – where she calls out what's broken and celebrates who's fixing it.
[Soon to be released: Why This Work Is Personal →]
