Paul Johnson Award finalists named
The Positive Ageing Summit has named three finalists for the inaugural Paul Johnson Positive Ageing Award – all sector leaders who began their careers as either an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
Aged care provider executive Bernard Morrison and allied health provider executives Shehan Fernando and Simon Kerrigan have made the finals for the inaugural Paul Johnson Positive Ageing Award for demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation and impact in promoting positive ageing for older Australians.
The award is an initiative of the Positive Ageing Summit – a two-day conference focused on reablement, mental health, nutrition, and advancements in business practices taking place on 28-29 May in Adelaide.
It is named in honour of the late Paul Johnson and includes a $1,500 cash prize sponsored by not-for-profit aged care provider BallyCara, where Mr Johnson spent over a decade pursuing healthy active ageing.
The award, which is open to individuals within the aged care sector who, like Paul Johnson, are committed to ensuring age is not a barrier to living well, received 12 applications including one from Fiji.
The four-member judging panel comprised LPA managing director Lorraine Poulos, Southern Cross Care SA, NT & Vic chief executive officer David Moran, AgeFit Solutions principal consultant Dr Tim Henwood and BallyCara executive chairman Marcus Riley.
The judges assessed the 12 applicants on their initiative or work and its impact, their commitment to sustaining and growing their positive ageing approach, and supporting references.
Finalists’ work commended
The initiative of Mr Morrison – an occupational therapist and general manager of wellbeing and allied programs at South Australian aged care and retirement living provider Eldercare – involves an integrated wellbeing strategy implemented across the organisation’s 13 homes. It focuses on the domains of good health, purpose, connection, activity and dignity.
Mr Fernando – executive general manager of allied health at Plena Healthcare – is behind the development and national rollout of the Plena Care Pathway for residential aged care. The model delivers tailored allied health services across a resident’s journey in four phases – pre-admission, admission, restorative and active ageing.
Mr Kerrigan – a physiotherapist and founder and managing director at Guide Healthcare – has led the design and coordination of 15 free cross-site events for aged care homes encouraging resident activity over the last seven years. He’s also presented at several conferences on active ageing, exergaming, and falls prevention, donated three HUR gyms and exercise equipment to aged care homes and facilitated several live-streamed exercise competitions.
Mr Kerrigan also joins Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia research fellow Dr Claire Gough and Dr Henwood on a panel at Positive Ageing Summit discussing reablement and restorative care across the aged care sector.
Ms Poulos thanked the applicants and finalists for their hard work in continuing Paul Johnson’s legacy.
“I first met Paul when he began working in aged care while living in Sydney in the early 2000s. His sense of humour shone through time and again, bringing joy not only to his colleagues but to everyone around him,” Ms Poulos told Community Care Review.
“These projects truly embody the spirit of who Paul was – compassionate, uplifting, and deeply committed to making a difference.”
The three finalists will be at the Positive Ageing Summit, where Mr Riley will announce the winner during the event’s final session.
Positive Ageing Summit is an initiative of Australian Ageing Agenda and Community Care Review – find out more on the Positive Ageing Summit 2025 website or book your individual and group-discounted tickets here
