Source: Aged Care Association
The Aged Care Association (ACA) has named Bini Mathew, Clinical Nurse Manager at Brightwater Home, Enliven, as its 2026 Nurse of the Year.
Now in its second year, the award recognises outstanding nursing leadership in aged residential care. Bini follows 2025 inaugural recipient Riha Devendra.
Bini was recognised for her ability to turn insight into action, embedding culturally responsive care into everyday practice, including Tikanga Māori approaches and the use of the Oranga Kaumatua Wellness Map. She has also built a strong clinical team through practical, on-the-ground leadership that is improving outcomes for residents and strengthening relationships with whānau.
Judges described her nomination as “exceptionally strong”, highlighting clear evidence of impact across resident wellbeing, staff capability, and overall service delivery.
ACA Chief Executive Tracey Martin says Bini represents a standard of nursing that is often under-recognised.
“What stands out with Bini is that she doesn’t just talk about better care, she delivers it. She has taken ideas around culturally responsive practice and made them real for residents, whānau and her team.
“That kind of leadership changes the experience of care in a very tangible way.”
Martin says Bini’s work also reflects the clinical depth of aged residential care.
“There is a perception that aged care offers less variety or fewer opportunities than other parts of the health system. Bini’s leadership shows the opposite.
“In aged residential care, nurses are working at the top of their scope every day. They are managing complexity, leading teams, and making decisions that directly affect quality of life.”
She says that experience is increasingly important as New Zealand’s population ages.
“The reality is that more and more of our health system will be focused on caring for older people. Nurses who build their careers in aged care develop a breadth of experience that will serve them anywhere in the system.”
Martin says Bini’s recognition is also a reminder of the role aged residential care plays within the wider health system.
“When aged care is strong, it supports people to live with dignity and helps the rest of the system function as it should. That is what we are seeing in Bini’s work every day.”
