Tony Hoare

Tony Hoare is a registered nurse with over 25 years’ clinical, educational and consultancy experience. His experience includes: working as a mental health consultant to community based service providers; as board member of a community health centre; teaching post-graduate courses in community health, palliative care and gerontology; coordinating a falls prevention clinic; and educating regional nurses.

Tony currently holds the part time, contracted position of National Aged Care Adviser to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, with a specific education brief. In this role he is extending Aged Care Best Practice seminars throughout Australia, having initiated and proved their value in Victorian metropolitan and rural areas. This follows the development of an innovative Victorian unit to foster education of health workers in veteran and aged care issues and appropriate health and community service usage. Other recent activities Tony has undertaken within this role have included:
  • Initiating the novel role of Veteran Liaison Officer in community and residential aged care services, using an educational service-development strategy
  • Designing, conducting and evaluating (impact and outcome) educational programs in veteran, aged care and mental health issues
  • Developing and implementing a national ‘train-the-trainer’ mental health literacy program for DVA staff
  • Co-development of an interactive CD-based mental health education program for health workers.
Other projects Tony has successfully completed include:
  • Australia-wide DVA community nursing service audits against national criteria, including recommending strategies for ongoing achievement of compliance and best practice
  • National training for Aged Care Assessment Teams, regarding their roles and responsibilities as stipulated in the Aged Care Act 1997, and training regarding the transition care program
  • Mental health education to community based staff dealing with high risk groups
  • Gerontology education programs for health professionals around Australia
  • Accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses and other mental health workshops. Tony is a master instructor in MHFA, teaching new instructors nationally.
  • Introduction of the Laughter-Boss concept to Victorian aged care, in conjunction with The Humour Foundation.