Becoming involved in the VAAP has many benefits including:

• Receiving the quarterly VAAP eNewsletter

• Being informed of the various strategies and tools developed within the VAAP, as well as other relevant professional development initiatives

• Learning about what other service providers and organisations are doing in the area of older people and physical activity

• Being kept up-to-date with the latest evidence and research in the area.
  

It’s easy for you and your organisation to get involved.

All you need to do is:

• Subscribe to VAAP eNews and stay informed of key VAAP initiatives and the latest research and developments relating to physical activity and older people. Subscribe here.

• Inform your colleagues and networks about the VAAP - include a short item in your organisation’s newsletter, encourage people to sign up to VAAP eNews

• Contribute to VAAP eNews. Click here for guidelines.

• Attend the annual VAAP Research and Practice Forum. To view the presentations from this year's Forum, click here.

Subscribe to VAAP eNews and:

• Keep up-to-date with the activities and progress of the VAAP

• Be informed of news and updates from the broader field of physical activity for older people

• Read about good practice examples

• Be linked to other organisations, groups and clubs that provide physical activity opportunities for older Victorians.

Read Past Editions:

• Edition No. 7 – March 2018 

• Edition No. 6 – October 2017
  

• Edition No. 5 – June 2017  

• Edition No. 4 – March 2017

• Edition No. 3 – September 2016

• Edition No. 2 – June 2016

• Edition No. 1 – March 2016

To subscribe, click here. 

Date and time:
Thursday 23 August 2018, 9.30am–3.15pm

Target audience:
Service providers, managers and policy makers involved in the current or potential provision of physical activity opportunities (including active recreation and sport) for older people. Staff and volunteers from a range of settings and organisations are encouraged to attend.

Venue:
Rydges Melbourne, 186 Exhibition St, Melbourne.

Cost:
$100 deposit to be paid on registration ($70 refunded on attendance). Click here for registration payment terms and conditions.  

BOOK NOW 

The purpose of the Forum will be to improve the knowledge and capacity of relevant service providers to successfully engage older people in physical activity opportunities. The Forum will include presentations from academic speakers, as well as service providers with case studies and practice examples.

In 2018, the objectives of the Forum will be to provide attendees with:

• An increased awareness of strategies to promote partnership and co-design approaches to engaging older people in physical activity

• An increased knowledge and awareness of some strategies and tools to assist them in their engagement of older people in physical activity

• An increased knowledge and awareness of approaches used to engage specific groups of older people

• An opportunity to meet other service providers involved/interested in the provision of physical activity opportunities for older people Professional development accreditation points from some relevant professional associations will be available for attendance at the Forum.

If you have any queries regarding the Forum, please email helen.koutsimanis@move.org.au or phone 03 8531 8045.

Don’t forget to let your colleagues and networks know about the VAAP 2018 Research and Practice Forum!

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

The Forum was opened by the Commissioner for Senior Victorians, Mr Gerard Mansour, and was attended by over 200 people from over 100 Victorian organisations.

Recordings of the principal presentations are available:

• Mr Gerard Mansour

• • Opening Address

  • Duration: 12.18 minutes

• Prof Cathie Sherrington

• • The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney

  • Factors influencing an older person’s engagement in physical activity

  • Duration: 42.14 minutes

• Assoc Prof Ben Smith

• • School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

  • Evidence-based best practice framework for the engagement of older people in physical activity

  • Duration: 27.40 minutes

• Dr Thorlene Egerton

• • Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, The University of Melbourne

  • Behavioural change approaches and older people and physical activity

  • Duration: 28.40 minutes

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

Dr Liz Cyarto

National Ageing Research Institute and Ms Cecilia Hernandez, City of Melbourne

How to promote active ageing to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds – The HAT and HAQ initiative

Ms Renee de Silva

Health Promotion and Training Coordinator, MOVE muscle, bone & joint health; Coordinator, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership

Physical activity opportunities for older Victorians: An audit and gap analysis

Ms Claire Jenkin

PhD Researcher, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University

Is sport a viable physical activity option for older adults?

Mr Rick Morris

Recreation Participation Officer, Maribyrnong City Council

Active Maribyrnong

Mr Mark Tran

Subacute Ambulatory Care Services, St Vincent’s Hospital

'Lung at Heart’ – the transition of exercise rehab groups from hospital and community health settings to an independent gym setting

Ms Clare Vaughan

Healthy Ageing Program Project Officer, Warrnambool City Council

Active Living in Warrnambool

Genevieve Nolan

Manager, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership

Gen has worked at MOVE since September 2011 in the role of Programs Manager, Policy, Information and Programs Unit. Gen has principal responsibility for the coordination of MOVE's suite of training and education programs. Prior to MOVE, Gen worked in various roles within the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. With her extensive experience in project and program management, Gen will have overall responsibility for the successful implementation and completion of the VAAP project.

Helen Koutsimanis

Project Officer, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership 

Helen has worked at MOVE since 2015 in the role of Project Officer - Health Promotion. Over this time, Helen has worked on various initiatives within the Victorian Active Ageing Partnership (VAAP), including the audit of physical activity opportunities for older adults and the analysis of data collected for other VAAP key projects. Helen will work closely with Gen in coordinating the VAAP and will play a major role in implementing many of the key strategies outlined in the project plan.

Assoc Prof Ben Smith

Project Advisor representing Monash University, Victorian Active Ageing Partnership

Ben is a Senior Lecturer, Health Science in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. Ben has 20 years’ experience in physical activity research, evidence synthesis, program evaluation and training. Examples of his contributions to this field include being a member of the expert drafting panel for National Heart Foundation’s 2014 update of the ‘Blue Print for an Active Australia’, as a trainer for Monash University’s five-day Health Promotion Short Course 2008-2014 and as a previous Director of the NSW Centre for Physical Activity and Health, University of Sydney. Within the VAAP project, Ben will lead the development of the project’s monitoring and evaluation plan, undertake evidence syntheses, as well as a qualitative study regarding older people who are ‘hard to reach’ in relation to engagement in physical activity.

Chris Alexander

 

Manager of Standard & Development at Fitness Australia, the Health and Fitness Industry Association

Chris Alexander is the Manager of Standard & Development at Fitness Australia, the Health and Fitness Industry Association. He has over 15 years’ experience in the health and fitness industry. Chris worked across a number of health promotion projects including Lift for Life, strength training program and Get Healthy Information & Coaching Service. He’s worked at medical clinics and provided fitness education for many years delivering and managing a registered training organisation. Chris is also practicing Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

The VAAP Project Advisory Group (PAG) provides experience and sector-based knowledge and advice to assist with promoting, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the VAAP.

For the Project Advisory Group’s Terms of Reference please click here.

The members of the PAG are as follows:

• Jan Bruce, Positive Ageing Policy Adviser, Municipal Association of Victoria

• Laura Cattapan, Coordinator Access & Inclusion, City of Port Phillip

• Gerald Dixon, Centre Manager, YMCA RecWest Footscray and RecWest Braybrook

• Tom Dixon, Participation Strategy Manager, Vicsport

• Chris Lacey, Victorian State Manager, Reclink Australia

• Gabrielle Lindsay Smith, Institute for Sport, Exercise and Active Living; Victoria University

• Elsie Mutton, Course Administrator and Vice President, U3A Nunawading

• Rayoni Nelson, Manager, Physical Activity, Sport & Healthy Eating, VicHealth

• Jonathan Pietsch, Special Projects, LLLS and Social Enterprises, COTA Victoria

The members of the VAAP Coordination Team are ex officio members of the VAAP PAG.

An audit was undertaken by the VAAP Coordination Team in 2015-2016 to examine the availability, variety and accessibility of physical activity opportunities for older Victorians.

The aims of the data audit and gap analysis were:

• To gain information in relation to the availability, variety and accessibility of physical activity opportunities for older Victorians

• To identify the gaps in the availability, variety and accessibility of physical activity opportunities for older Victorians

• To provide baseline information to guide the future work of the VAAP

• To provide information that may be used to guide work by external organisations. The audit examined structured physical activity programs incorporating fitness, strength, balance and flexibility within each Victorian local government area.

To find out more read the:

• Executive summary

• Full Report

• Infographic
  

To understand the characteristics and features of organisations and the workforce that are enablers and barriers to older people engaging in physical activity, an evidence synthesis was conducted. It is providing the basis for the development of an evidence-based best practice framework for community-based organisations to guide the engagement of older people in group-based physical activity. Assoc Prof Ben Smith, Project Advisor representing Monash University on the VAAP Coordination Team, has led this initiative.

In order to further refine the draft framework, a structured validation process was undertaken with organisations and group leaders in Victoria.

To find out more read the:

• Infographic

• Evidence Synthesis
  

A qualitative study was undertaken within the VAAP to gather evidence to improve the design of physical activity programs, and the capacity of activity providers, to increase participation by under-represented and vulnerable older people. Within this group of older are those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, living with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse, or living alone. These groups were identified as being at elevated risk of isolation and loneliness in the Commissioner for Senior Victorians’ 2016 report, Ageing is Everyone’s Business. The Commissioner’s report highlighted the effects of social networks, physical functioning and mobility upon isolation. Community-based physical activity programs have a valuable role to play in addressing these factors.

The qualitative study resulted in the identification of many useful strategies for service providers to employ in better engaging under-represented groups of older adults in physical activity.

Find out more about the study and the identified strategies.

After a health event, which may affect their physical mobility and functioning, older people often undertake a structured and supported rehabilitation program to rebuild their mobility, physical functioning and self-confidence. At the end of these programs, it is important that they transition well to another community-based setting to continue their exercise and physical activity. Well functioning transition pathways will assist in maximising the older person’s continuation and sustained engagement in exercise.

A qualitative study was undertaken within the VAAP examining existing pathways governing the transition of older people from a formal, supervised program to independent, community-based exercise. The aim of the study was to determine the features and factors of these pathways, which act as enablers and barriers to the achievement of their desired outcomes.

Read the key elements of transition pathways, which have been identified as maximising the sustainability of exercise.

To get in touch with the VAAP Coordination Team, please contact:

Helen Koutsimanis

helen.koutsimanis@move.org.au

03 8531 8045 | 1800 263 265