Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is delighted to announce that it is partnering with West Wimmera Health Service (WWHS), Northern Grampians Shire Council (NGSC), Clunes Neighbourhood House and mecawacare to provide new and innovative services to help people maintain their health as they age.
In a first for western Victoria, WWHS will be creating a Healthy Ageing Hub in Nhill and pop-up hubs in Kaniva, Goroke, Natimuk, Rainbow, Jeparit, Rupanyup, Minyip and Murtoa, with the aim of reaching more isolated farming communities. NGSC will be opening Healthy Ageing Hubs in Stawell and St Arnaud as well as pop up hubs elsewhere in the Shire.
Clunes Neighbourhood House and Central Highlands Rural Health will be creating Healthy Ageing Hubs in Clunes, Daylesford, Creswick and Trentham, while mecawacare will be opening a Healthy Ageing Hub in Ballan. Healthy Ageing Hubs are designed to connect people to services as well as information about the healthy ageing programs, activities and services available in a local region.
WWHS and NGSC have also been commissioned by WVPHN to run intergenerational programs that will connect young people with older people through programs that have been tailored to suit each community. Intergenerational programs aim to reduce social isolation and loneliness and promote learning and friendships between generations.
WVPHN CEO, Rowena Clift, said that the objective of these two innovative initiatives was to help people to live longer at home, promote healthy ageing and better management of chronic disease with the goal of improving people’s quality of life as they age.
“All our partners on this project have crafted their Healthy Ageing Hubs or programs to suit their communities, so we’re really excited to see positives outcomes from this innovative approach, both for older people and school age kids,” said Ms Clift.
WWHS CEO Ritchie Dodds said his organisation was excited to be bringing information about its health services to their community in a relaxed environment that will enable people to pop-in and have a chat with staff about what services can help them age well.
“Many of the people living in the communities we serve are aged 50 years and over, and these hubs are a new and exciting way we can support them to live independently, well—and for longer—in their homes and as contributing and valued members of our communities,” said Mr Dodds.
In addition to the hubs, Mr Dodds said that WWHS would also create a series of intergenerational programs that will promote contact between generations to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for all participants and assist in cultivating a sense of community belonging.
“We’re excited to be working collaboratively with some of our local schools to connect students and residents from our aged care facilities, offering joint activities that will enrich the health and wellbeing of both young and old alike,” said Mr Dodds.
“We’ll be providing a safe and fun environment for interaction between residents at our aged care facilities in Jeparit, Rainbow and Natimuk with local schools in their respective towns, including Jeparit Primary School, Rainbow P-12 College and Natimuk Primary School,” said Mr Dodds.
“Activities will foster positive and meaningful interaction between the groups and include things like a visiting mobile zoo, art and mosaic projects, history and storytelling projects, cooking, community outings and games,” said Mr Dodds.
Dr Tess Brady, a Working Party member from Altitude – Ageing Well in Clunes, said that being invited to develop a prototype for how ageing and living well can be replicated in other communities was a great recognition of the Clunes community with its history of working together to get things done and a population that actively pursues the changes it wants to happen.
“Clunes set out to rewrite the book on ageing with the establishment of a community-led activities group we call Attitude, and it’s exciting that our ideas to rethink ageing and living well are being endorsed by traditional service providers and in particular their partnership in developing what a Healthy Ageing Hub might look like,” said Dr Brady.
“This hub takes a ‘no wrong doors’ approach. Between the three project partners, Attitude, Central Highlands Rural Health and Clunes Neighbourhood House we’ll be able to welcome a wide cross section of our community to existing activities, as well as new or enhanced offerings. We can explore ways to dovetail our programs, creating a strong synergy, strong partnership and a strong community. Together we’ll help introduce people to what is available in Clunes, as well as wrap around referrals and access to allied health outreach and chronic conditions programs,” said Dr Brady.
As part of the Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn project, Central Highlands Rural Health will also be implementing connection and information hubs in Creswick, Daylesford and Trentham.
Cr Kevin Erwin, the Mayor of Northern Grampian Shire, said that its Healthy Ageing Hubs would be run from existing Council-run facilities in Stawell and St Arnaud with pop up hubs in other locations throughout the shire.
“The ongoing health and welfare of our residents are of key importance to us. Our residents deserve the necessary services and facilities to help them to establish and maintain an active, connected and healthy lifestyle for the long-term. The development of intergenerational programs and healthy ageing hubs will reduce social isolation and ideally prevent an early decline in day-to-day activity,” said Cr Erwin.
“We want to talk to older people about what they want and what they think will work. We have a few ideas about what might work, such as linking people through technology, but we want to work with a broad range of people across our communities. We will be working with people who are now in their 50s as well as older people, to assist them to make strong connections while they are fit and active, so they do not get to a point where they are isolated and alone. Essential partners in this space will be East Wimmera Health Services, Grampians Health, our neighbourhood houses, and for us, ensuring that all our council services are linked into the program,” said Cr Erwin.
Michele Lewis, mecwacare’s CEO, said that high on mecwacare’s agenda was its commitment to delivering high quality care and support services to the Ballan community and surrounding areas.
“Ballan and surrounds is a tight knit community. We value the opportunity to give back to the people of Ballan and the surrounding area through the provision of additional services related to high-quality care for older residents,” said Ms Lewis.
mecwacare will appoint a full-time registered nurse with regional/farming experience who will provide outreach services, while mecwacare’s Ballan Health and Care Services will offer a range of medical, physical rehabilitation, tele-health and pathology services, as well as an on-site pool and gym for rehabilitation and general fitness. There will also be support for people who need assistance navigating the aged care system, including how to apply for My Aged Care services.
The new Healthy Ageing Hubs and Intergenerational Programs are expected to start in July.