Ageing Well Expo

Elder abuse is any act that harms an older person and is carried out by someone they trust. This could be by an adult child, family member, partner, carer or friend. The abuse may be physical, social, financial, psychological or sexual and can include mistreatment and neglect.

This interactive session provided an overview of elder abuse and support and assistance available through Seniors Rights Victoria.

Presenter: Gary Ferguson education co-ordinator, Senior Rights Victoria.

Gary Ferguson has 25 years of experience in community education and training, delivering programs to diverse groups of adults. Since May 2008, he has been the education co-ordinator at Seniors Rights Victoria. In this role he is responsible for statewide community education and professional training in health, community, aged car, and related fields. Gary collaborates with groups including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations, Aboriginal communities and the older Deaf community.

Seniors Rights Victoria is a free service available to individuals over 60 years of age.

This session explored financial options that you can access. It covered information and advice on unpaid bills, debts, or disputes, as well as scams and effective methods to handle them.

The session included details on how to locate free financial counsellors in your local area, along with an overview of what to expect from support services. It included lots of time for audience questions and answers.

Presenter: Anouk Ceppi Thomas, financial counsellor, Uniting Kildonan. 

Anouk Ceppi Thomas is an experienced financial councillor who has worked in this field since 2013. Anouk grew up in the French part of Switzerland where she worked as a youth worker before migrating to Australia more than 20 years ago. Anouk completed her studies at Victoria University focusing on counselling, and has gained extensive experience as a family support practitioner.

This session covered health eating and the key nutrients that should be in your daily diet to help you age well. Topics included:

• the ins and outs of fibre
• top tips for tip top bone health
• how a dietitian can help you.

Presenter: Jessica Lamb, dietitian, DPV Health.

Jessica Lamb is a dietitian with experience treating nutrition-related conditions from allergies to zinc deficiencies and everything in between. She has worked in acute hospital settings as well as community health. With a background in nutrition and psychology, Jessica advocates for and empowers clients of all ages to reach their individual nutrition goals through knowledge and support. She loves talking to people about food and nutrition.

An introduction to the six factors of positive ageing and how to experience happiness and satisfaction at any age.

Presenter: Taryn Ferguson from Bolton Clark

Taryn Ferguson is a passionate advocate for personal growth, mindfulness and holistic wellbeing. With a background human resources, organisation development and coaching, Taryn has a deep curiosity about wellbeing, longevity and the human mind. She has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to cultivate self-awareness, harness their inner potential and create positive change in their lives.

An overview of the practice of mindfulness and energy cultivation as powerful tools for personal growth. The session focused on three key aspects: breathwork, cultural self and environmental awareness.

By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can experience benefits such as reduced stress, improved focus and a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you.

Presenter: Taryn Ferguson from Bolton Clark

Taryn Ferguson is a passionate advocate for personal growth, mindfulness and holistic well-being. With a background human resources, organisation development and coaching, Taryn has a deep curiosity about wellbeing, longevity and the human mind. She has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to cultivate self-awareness, harness their inner potential and create positive change in their lives.

It's important to plan ahead for health care decisions in case you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. 

Planning can involve appointing a trusted decision-maker or talking to them about what is important to you.

This session covered the components of advance care planning and how it can be useful for you and your family.

Presenter: A/Professor Barbara Hayes, clinical lead: advance care planning, Northern Health.

A/Prof Barbara Hayes is a palliative care doctor but no longer works clinically. Barbara has a teaching and research interest in ethics and law related to medical decision-making, end-of-life decision-making and decisions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She is also interested in how culture and faith influence decision-making.