Health North Coast release ageing strategy Coffs Coast Highlight Section Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 16, 2024 Healthy North Coast’s Judy Bartholomew and Monika Wheeler, Northern NSW Local Health District’s Elayne Mitchell, Healthy North Coast’s Jo Winwood, and The Shorelines’ Owen Lednor and Brooke. LIVING well for longer, rather than achieving a grand old age, is key to the Healthy Ageing Strategy developed by Healthy North Coast. The Strategy was launched at The Shoreline Luxury Retirement Living in Coffs Harbour on Monday 4 March. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Developed in consultation with the community, aged care industry stakeholders, and primary and acute care clinicians, the Strategy focuses on wellness, independence and enablement. The North Coast region of NSW faces unique challenges and opportunities due to an ageing population. Currently, 138,000 or 25 percent of people between Port Macquarie and the Tweed are aged 65 or over. This compares to sixteen percent Australia-wide. Additionally, 30 percent of the North Coast population is expected to be over 65 by 2030, and the number of people over 85 will almost double in the next 20 years. Attending the presentation at The Shoreline, Healthy North Coast CEO Monika Wheeler said that as our population ages, the demand on the healthcare system grows, impacting people being able to easily access the services they need, and placing a strain on healthcare resources. “People are living longer, but not necessarily healthier,” Ms Wheeler said. “We want to shift the focus to improving health now so that people might live the best life they can irrespective of their age. “Healthy ageing is a journey that begins at birth. “As we live longer, we need to ensure all our living years have choice, dignity and control.” The Strategy was developed with the vision to help people on the North Coast live well, age well, and have ongoing opportunities to contribute and stay connected to their communities and country. It contains a number of key initiatives, many of which are already underway on the North Coast. These include digital health within residential aged care, the North Coast Care Finders Program, aged care disaster management planning and the Greater Choice at Home Palliative Care program. Owen Lednor, Clinical Project Consultant at The Shoreline Luxury Retirement Living in Coffs Harbour, enthusiastically welcomed the Healthy Ageing Strategy. “Ensuring our residents have access to the right kind of primary healthcare has been a challenge in the past, but now we’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm and uptake on digital telehealth services,” he said at the launch event. “This new technology allows our residents to avoid unnecessary hospital visits and to get the healthcare they need while remaining comfortable at home. “It’s great to see a focus on digital health technology in the Healthy Ageing Strategy, so that some of those barriers to healthcare might be removed.” For more information about the Healthy Ageing Strategy 2023-2027 and its initiatives, including downloadable resources, visit hnc.org.au/healthy-ageing. By Andrea FERRARI Healthy North Coast’s Vanessa Gee, Jo Winwood and Judy Bartholomew.
