Surf Coast Shire Positive Ageing Month

Summary

Positive Ageing Month, also known as the Victorian Seniors Festival, is celebrated every October, with the 2024 theme “Explore. Engage. Evolve”, emphasizing the importance of positive ageing. This month-long event encourages older individuals to participate in local activities that promote social connection, fun, and lifelong learning. Building on the 2023 theme of “Learn, Love, Live”, it focuses on engaging older adults, fostering experiences, and strengthening community ties.

The festival ties into several national observances, including the Victorian Seniors Festival’s 8 Days of Free Travel, International Probus Day, Mental Health Week, National Carer’s Week, and Get Online Week. It is facilitated by council, in partnership with community groups and the Positive Ageing Advisory Committee. These partnerships result in a range of activities that align with Council’s Age Friendly Strategy.

Community groups are encouraged to organise their own events, with support from Council in the form of advertising, social media promotion, and financial assistance for larger activities through the State Government’s Active Living Grant. Council also links visitors to broader state-wide events available through Seniors Online Victoria and the Victorian Government.

Positive Ageing Month aligns with the goals of the Age Friendly Strategy, the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, and the broader Council Plan. It aims to build social connections, enhance mental well-being, promote healthy active lifestyles, and support preventative health initiatives for older adults. Through these efforts, the month-long celebration strengthens both the individual and collective experience of older adults, encouraging them to stay engaged and evolve through lifelong participation.

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Other target group(s): Intergenerational, vulnerable older men, older people with chronic health conditions or disability, First Nations Elders

Sector(s): Education, Health, Information and communication, Long-term care, Other, Social protection, Transportation

Other sector(s): Civic Participation and Employment; Respect and Social Inclusion; Social Participation

Desired outcome for older people:
Learn, grow and make decisions

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:

Ageism
Accessibility
Ageing in place
Dementia
Elder abuse
Healthy behaviours (e.g. physical activity)
Intergenerational activities
Inequities
Inclusion
Participation
Technologies

Contact details

Name: Rose Salvo

Email address: rsalvo@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Local authorities

Others involved in the project:

Older People’s Association
Social or health care provider
Volunteers
Private sector

How collaboration worked: Councils and Council Officers from across the State work closely with the Victorian Seniors Month State Government Coordinator to evaluate and plan themes and activities for each year’s celebrations. Older people from either Council’s Positive Ageing Committee or from local community groups and organisations are involved in the planning, organisation, publicity and facilitation of all individual events and activities. Some events and activities are funded by the community groups themselves, whilst other, larger and more collaborative events receive small amounts of funding from the state government. Council’s Age Friendly Officer works closely with all to facilitate and oversee the calendar of events. Community relationships are strong, collaborative and based on “trust, turning up and doing what we say we will do”.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: Older people from either Council’s Positive Ageing Committee or from local community groups and organisations are involved in the planning, organisation, publicity and facilitation of all individual events and activities.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: No

Do you plan to evaluate your age-friendly practice? No

Feedback:
At the completion of Positive Ageing Month 2024, we asked individual participants and event/activity organisers to complete some preliminary evaluation questions. This process will be formalised in 2025 to allow for a more comprehensive evaluation. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with some very useful suggestions for Positive Ageing Month in 2025.

Expansion plans:
We plan to continue this age-friendly practice moving forward. We will continue to work with our Positive Ageing Advisory Committee and local community groups, organisations and health services to provide activities and events that are relevant, worthwhile and build capacity and social connection so that older adults can continue to thrive in their communities. Any changes to the practice will be based on community feedback and funding opportunities. In terms of expanding the practice – this will be difficult due to limited resources.

Looking back

Reflections:
Ensure all facilities and venues are accessible for individuals with mobility requirements or who are vision/hearing impaired – don’t just assume they will be! Specifically invite community groups and organisations from outside the Shire to build wider social connections within the Shire. Inter-generational and cultural activities need more in-depth planning to ensure that all participant’s needs are met. Provide feedback/evaluation opportunities at each event/activity.

Challenges:
It has taken some time (four years) to build trusting, reciprocal relationships with individual community members, groups and organisations. Based on community sentiment and since leaving the direct service provision space, we have moved away from the “frail aged” depiction of older adults to people actively ageing in their communities – communities that are age friendly across a number of spheres. This approach also involves de-stigmatising age and becoming more aware of how ageism operates across our communities. Hand in hand with changing the conversation around ageing is acknowledging the importance of active social participation (a key pillar of our age friendly strategy) for the older adults of our community. COVID restrictions severely impacted the health and wellbeing of our older community members and their capacity to participate in any of their regular activities. Positive Ageing Month activities have helped to change the image and dialogue around “ageing” from one of frailty and weakness to one of vibrancy and active participation in community.