Aged Care Steps announces winners of the 2023 Aged Care Adviser of the Year Awards

We are proud to announce our 2023 winners and congratulate them on their achievement.

The winner of the Aged Care Adviser of the Year category is Craig Phillips from Phillips Wealth Partners.

This category recognises an individual adviser who is deemed to have demonstrated outstanding professional commitment in providing aged care advice to older Australians and their families.

Recognised as a Finalist in last year’s Awards, over the past 12 months Craig has further dedicated himself to broadening his aged care advice skill set, systems and processes to deliver expert aged care advice. Inspired to start in aged care advice after helping his own parents, Craig is motivated every day to make the process easier for those people who are not aged care specialists.

Craig's passion for aged care advice is driven by a very clear motivation.

“I believe that every older Australian deserves the choice to live where and how they want – right up to the end” explained Craig.

“I know some advisers view aged care as transactional and complex. However, I realised years ago there is a long tail, but sometimes it isn’t that long. When I assist the parents, their children often seek financial advice, and their children. Aged care advice in a modern firm isn't just about the present; it spans across generations and uniquely places you top of the list when it comes to trust and money.”

“I encourage other advisers to embrace this cohort as it opens opportunities for sustained client relationships and referrals,” said Craig Phillips, Senior Financial Planner at Phillips Wealth Partners.

The winner of the Aged Care Advice Program of the Year is Alteris Financial Group.

This second category recognises an Australian adviser or advice business working in financial services that has actively advocated the promotion of aged care advice amongst their client base, referral communities, peers or local community.

Alteris Financial Group has a division comprised of specialist aged care financial advisers and client services staff whose sole purpose is to help families and their loved ones make the challenging and often complex transition to permanent residential care with confidence.

During the past year, they have actively engaged with facility managers and admission staff to help better understand the various financial considerations, raising awareness of the importance of specialist aged care and advice.

This included the development of an education program designed for aged care facility staff that illustrates the value of financial advice for those moving to care.

“After specialising in this area for many years, we have developed deep expertise and strong industry relationships. By actively sharing our knowledge and proactively participating in the industry, we are looking to improve the aged care journey for individuals and families” said Andrew Biviano, Head of Lifestyle and Care at Alteris Financial Group.

The applications were reviewed and the winners were selected by an external panel of respected professionals, including Jo-Anne Bloch, Phil Anderson and Sue Viskovic.

“It is promising to see more and more advisers upskilling in aged care advice to help meet the increasing need for advice by clients. The high calibre of the all this year’s submissions is testamount to the excellence being demonstrated by advisers, but also highlights the importance of seeking advice from an accredited aged care professional who is registered as a financial adviser. We see these advisers making a difference to their clients every day” said Louise Biti, Director of Aged Care Steps.

“We congratulate Craig Phillips and Alteris Financial Group on their achievements and for being outstanding winners of these awards.”

For full details of this year’s winners and finalists, please click here.