VAAP Research and Practice Forum - Musculoskeletal Australia

The Victorian Active Ageing Partnership (VAAP) aims to increase opportunities for participation in physical activity for older Victorians, especially in areas of socio-economic disadvantage and among isolated, lonely older people not currently involved in physical activity. Find out more about the Victorian Active Ageing Partnership and how you can become involved.

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

VAAP Research and Practice Forum 2019

The fourth VAAP Research and Practice Forum – Communication, older people and physical activity: Giving and receiving the message – was held on Thursday 29 August 2019.

The Forum was opened by the Commissioner for Senior Victorians and Ambassador for Elder Abuse Prevention, Gerard Mansour, and was again attended by over 200 people from over 100 Victorian and interstate organisations.

The Forum program is available here.

Recordings of the principal presentations are available:

Opening address – Gerard Mansour
Duration: 10.08 minutes

Principles of good communication and other considerations
Prof Bill Bellew, Adjunct Professor, Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Duration: 32.23 minutes

What do older people hear when I say “falls prevention”?
Dr Darshini Ayton, Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Duration: 20.48 minutes

An older person’s perspective on what is meant by “good communication”
Margaret O’Loughlin, Member, City of Maribyrnong Older Persons’ Reference Group
Duration: 10.40 minutes

The Powerpoint presentations from the other sessions at the Forum, which detail various perspectives on the topic of communication and relevant initiatives are also available for viewing:

Doing sport differently – A preview
Melanie Chisholm, Manager, Physical Activity, Sport and Healthy Eating, VicHealth

Life Café: A Move from knowing to doing to improve quality of life for older adults
Disha Doshi, Physical Activity Coordinator, Caulfield Community Health Service

Social Prescribing in Practice: Implementation in the Australian Setting Pavilion Room-1145-Presentation 3-Seed et al
Natalie Seed, Program Officer, Integration, North Western Melbourne PHN and Meagan Chiuchiarelli, Manager, Health Promotion and Community Strengthening, IPC Health

Critical messages that motivate older people to Live Longer and Stronger
Michelle Wright, COTA Victoria

Personality and communication – Are you being heard?
Deborah Peppard, Director, HR staff n’ stuff (HR company)

Avoiding the ‘‘F word (FALLS)’’ when developing falls prevention and physical activity messages: A session of brainstorming and case studies
Dr Darshini Ayton, Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Danielle Berkovic, PhD student, Monash University

Feedback mechanisms and systems thinking to improve service delivery
Clint Wilkie, Team Leader Population Health, Caulfield Community Health Service

Activism, action and engagement – Ageing in Port Phillip
Dr Jane Sims, Older Persons Consultative Committee Deputy Chair; Neville Aphoy, Linking Neighbours Leadership Group; Sherridan Green, Port Phillip Community Development & Liaison Officer; Laura Cattapan, Coordinator Access and Inclusion, City of Port Phillip

Health literacy tips for effective communication
Jolyon Burford, Trainer and Online Training Coordinator, Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health

VAAP Research and Practice Forum 2018

The third VAAP Research and Practice Forum – Working well together: Promoting active ageing – was held on Thursday 24 August 2018.

Recordings of the principal presentations are available:

Opening address – Gerard Mansour
Duration: 10.12 minutes

Creating and sustaining networks and partnerships
Assoc Prof Marilyn Wise, Centre for Primary Healthcare and Equity, University of New South Wales
Duration: 39.02 minutes

Co-design – What is it, how do you do it and why is it valuable?
Ben Pollard, Coordinator Community Development, Hobsons Bay City Council
Duration: 29.05 minutes

Why being physically active is important to me
Jan Wilson, Community member
Duration: 9.23 minutes

VAAP self-assessment tool and resources
Genevieve Nolan, Manager, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership; Programs Manager, Musculoskeletal Australia
Duration: 27.15 minutes

The Powerpoint presentations from the other sessions at the Forum, which detail various practice examples and address key issues are also available for viewing:

Developing a dementia friendly trail within the Woowookarung Regional Park
Anne Tudor, Advocate for people living with dementia and Ms Siobhan Rogan, Area Chief Ranger – Ballarat, Parks Victoria

The importance of partnership approaches in the sports industry
Tom Dixon, Participation Strategy Manager, Vicsport

Developing a seniors exercise park in the City of Wyndham
Leonie Taylor, Community Infrastructure Officer, Service Planning, Partnering and Reform, Wyndham City Council

VAAP Self-assessment Tool
Disha Doshi, Physical Activity Coordinator, Caulfield Community Health Service

VAAP Self-assessment Tool and Resources (SaTR) and the ‘MOVE for Life’ Program
April Wilson, Inclusion and Programs Manager, Gymnastics Victoria

Tips for working well and positively with groups of and individual older people
Disha Doshi, Physical Activity Coordinator, Caulfield Community Health Service

Tips for working well and positively with active adults
Judy McCoy, Fitness Instructor, Aquahub, City of Maroondah; Lecturer, Cert IV in Fitness at the VFA Narre Warren

Physical activity and older people with chronic health conditions
Gabrielle Lindsay Smith, Exercise Physiologist and PhD candidate, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University

Exercise considerations for individuals with cardiovascular disease
Mary Woessner, Exercise Physiologist and PhD candidate, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University

Physical activity, chronic health conditions and dementia in older people
Elizabeth Rand, Manager, Cognitive Decline and Memory Service, Caulfield Hospital

Physical activity and older people with osteoporosis/osteopaenia
Sara Marwick, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Caulfield Community Health Services

A case study re: local government and physical activity for older people – the ‘Active Whittlesea’ strategy
Ben Waterhouse, Manager, Leisure and Community Facilities, City of Whittlesea and Ms Judith Geraghty, Positive Ageing Officer, City of Whittlesea

Organisational profiles

Attendees at the Research and Practice Forum were also asked to submit organisational profiles to assist in generating information-sharing and networking. You can view the collated organisational profiles here.

VAAP Research and Practice Forum 2017

The second VAAP Research and Practice Forum – Access for all: More older people, more active – was held on Thursday 24 August 2017.

Recordings of the principal presentations are available:

Opening address – Gerard Mansour

Equity, older people and physical activity – Professor Kylie Ball
Associate Head of School – Research, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University

Strategies for ‘hard to reach’ older people – Assoc Prof Ben Smith
School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Physical activity: An older person’s perspective – Edith Chen
Peer Educator, COTA Victoria

VAAP self-assessment tool and resources – Genevieve Nolan
Manager, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership; Programs Manager, MOVE muscle, bone & joint health

The RecLink model – Chris Lacey
Victorian State Manager, RecLink Australia

The Powerpoint presentations from the afternoon sessions at the Forum, which detail various practice examples and address key issues are also available for viewing:

Transition pathways at Sunbury Community Health: A case example – Adam DeMirtel
Team Leader-Active Ageing Team/Exercise Physiologist, Health & Wellbeing Unit, Sunbury Community Health

From healthcare to community: Supporting clients to continue their exercise journey – Heath Miller
Physiotherapist Practice Lead, cohealth

Transition pathways: Key elements to promote sustainability – Genevieve Nolan
Manager, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership; Programs Manager, Musculoskeletal Australia
(formerly known as MOVE muscle, bone & joint health)

Walking football/City Strikers program – George Halkias
Walking Football Project Coordinator, Melbourne City Football Club

Walking basketball – Kyle MacMullan
Inclusion Officer, Basketball Victoria

Physical activity and older people with chronic health conditions – Carolyn Page
Senior Physiotherapist, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne

Ms Emma Dabb
Facilitator, Alzheimer’s Australia
(Please refer to the Alzheimer’s Australia website for further information)

CAFÉ BAZAAR – Moorleigh Multicultural Senior Citizens Centre Physical Activity Program for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Seniors – Christine Spiridonos
Manager Community-based Social Support Services, MiCare

VAAP Research and Practice Forum 2016

The inaugural VAAP Research and Practice Forum – Pathways to Participation: Engaging Older People in Physical Activity – was held on Thursday 25 August 2016.

Recordings of the principal presentations are available:

Opening address – Gerard Mansour

Factors influencing an older person’s engagement in physical activity – Prof Cathie Sherrington
The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney

Evidence-based best practice framework for the engagement of older people in physical activity – Assoc Prof Ben Smith
School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Behavioural change approaches and older people and physical activity – Dr Thorlene Egerton
Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, The University of Melbourne

The Powerpoint presentations from the afternoon sessions at the Forum, which detail various practice examples and address key issues are also available for viewing:

How to promote active ageing to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: The HAT and HAQ initiative – Dr Liz Cyarto
National Ageing Research Institute and Ms Cecilia Hernandez, City of Melbourne

Physical activity opportunities for older Victorians: An audit and gap analysis – Renee de Silva
Health Promotion and Training Coordinator, MOVE muscle, bone & joint health; Coordinator, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership

Is sport a viable physical activity option for older adults? – Claire Jenkin
PhD Researcher, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University

Active Maribyrnong – Rick Morris
Recreation Participation Officer, Maribyrnong City Council

‘Lung at Heart’: the transition of exercise rehab groups from hospital and community health settings to an independent gym setting – Mark Tran
Subacute Ambulatory Care Services, St Vincent’s Hospital

Active living in Warrnambool – Clare Vaughan
Healthy Ageing Program Project Officer, Warrnambool City Council