We are so happy to celebrate the return of the Positive Ageing Summit to be held in Hilton Adelaide on May 20 & 21, with two site visit tours scheduled for the 23rd.
Last years’ inaugural summit was a true highlight for discussions on the importance of allied health and reablement in all areas of aged care. The Summit was set to inspire collaboration, share evidence-based strategies, and empower participants to achieve better outcomes in aged care and it truly delivered its promise. The two days were filled with conversation on the best ways to age, from our fifties to the end of life.
The speaker line up was brilliant and consisted of managers, clinicians, researchers, consumers, community advocates with one thing in common – positive mindset and passion for the best practice that leads to the highest quality of life! The wide range of topics discussed was carefully selected, allowing the conversation to include even the toughest topics, such as dying, in a positive, caring manner.
This year promises to be even better. The program consists of three parts – The conference program, masterclasses and site tours, maximising the learning aspect. The agenda is filled with impactful sessions, leading experts, and practical workshops that will provide evidence-based strategies that aged care professionals can adopt to meet the growing demand for independence modifying and high-quality, person-centred care as recommended by the aged care royal commission and at the centre of incoming aged care policy.
The speaker list is outstanding as always. The main keynote speech is presented by Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh from The University of Sydney. Maria is one of the most impressive academics globally, dedicating her long academic career to discuss healthy ageing and strength training. Her research output is filled with outstanding reports that have led to clear clinical recommendations for the best exercise to support healthy ageing, a topic that we often have discussed in our earlier blog posts.
You can listen to a brief interview of Professor Fiatarone Singh via this link. You might also be interesting in this great video, “The Rationale for Overcoming Resistance to Robust Exercise in Frail Elders” with Professor Fiatarone Singh as speakers, but also other speakers from their series “exercise Recommendations in Older Adults: Update state of the art”. This scientist, together with others, published the best guidelines for exercise in older adults that we have discussed in many previous blogs.
Other speakers will cover topics such as Medication, Technology & Innovation, Social Health, and Behavioural science. Chief Allied Health Officer, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Anita Hobson-Powell, returns to the Summit to discuss the current position of allied health, the consumer voice will be discussed from the viewpoint of the consumer as well as the government.
The workshops bring best practices into actions. In the “Reablement at mealtimes: Practical approaches to improve safety, independence and nutritional intake” session, a Dietitian and Speech Pathologist will share practical, person-centred approaches helping people stay well-nourished and confident at mealtimes while maintaining choice and dignity.
The “Evidence to Impact: Building and Delivering Beneficial Strength and Balance Programs” is led by internationally recognised physiotherapist Dr Jennie Hewitt and Associate Professor Justin Keogh, who will share practical strategies for embedding progressive strength and balance training into your business model—whether you work with community-dwelling older adults or residents in aged care.
The “Innovation That Sticks: Implementing Practical and Evidence-based Change for Positive Ageing” masterclass focuses on how to move from evidence to impact—supporting positive ageing through practical innovation, effective change management and implementation that works in real-world settings drawing on ARIIA’s national work in workforce capability building, best-practice resources and pragmatic implementation know-how.
This year’s site tours will focus on two important topics – dementia and reablement. The “Wine, Wisdom & Walking in Their Shoes” will discuss the dementia and person-centred care, while the “Reablement in Action Tour” explores reablement in practice at ACH Glenelg, Kieser Glenelg, and Adelaide Exercise Physiology, gaining practical insights on mobility, independence, and allied health integration.
The event also wants to celebrate outstanding individuals in the aged care sector with demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in promoting positive ageing for older Australians. The award, supported by Bally Cara, and named in memory of Paul Johnson OAM, a visionary leader whose dedication to reablement, health, and wellness transformed aged care, wants to recognise those who, like Paul, are committed to ensuring that age is never a barrier to living well.
We are very much looking forward to returning to Adelaide for this great summit. You can register and read more via this link, and read more about the program here.
We look forward to seeing many of you in Adelaide!
Best Wishes,
Dr Tuire Karaharju-Huisman
Physiotherapist, Accredited Exercise Physiologist (ESSAM), PhD (Biomechanics)
Research Lead, Area Account Manager (Vic, Tas, SA, ACT, WA, NT)
