Ageing Well

Ageing Well

On Sunday 15 May 2024 at 4:00 PM, Dr. Nancy Chen gave a talk on Ageing Well.  The venue was our usual Glen Waverley Community Centre.  The session was attended by community members from the BAV Seniors group.

Dr. Nancy Chen is a consultant geriatrician at Austin Health.  Having completed medical school at the University of Melbourne, she undertook physician training at the Alfred, St Vincent’s and Austin Hospitals.  Dr. Chen’s talk focused on various tips to take care of our health and find a pathway to Ageing Well.  A summary follows.

Ageing is a natural process and is about known changes to our body and our mind.  Ageing Well (healthy ageing, positive ageing) encompasses life satisfaction with social and cognitive engagement, personal wellbeing, maintaining health and physical functions.

Maintaining normal functions seems to be the key to staying engaged with life and avoid diseases.

Being mobile by staying active and maintaining strength and balance will go a long way in preventing falls.  Attention to bone health is vital (Vitamin D, Calcium, few minutes of sun exposure every single day).

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA):  A general practitioner’s referral is required to see a geriatrician who is an expert in caring for older (65 years +) people.  A geriatrician can manage a wide range of problems for healthy ageing through a personalized care plan prepared to address issues identified by a CGA, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

References & Resources:

• The role of a geriatrician
  • https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/geriatrician
• Too fit to fall and fracture
  • OC-Too-Fit-to-Fall-or-Fracture.pdf (osteoporosis.ca)
  • https://osteoporosis.ca/wp-content/uploads/OC-Too-Fit-to-Fall-or-Fracture.pdf
• Your Brain Matters
  • Helpsheet-YourBrainMatters02_5SimpleSteps_english.pdf (alzheimerswa.org.au)
  • https://www.alzheimerswa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Helpsheet-YourBrainMatters02_5SimpleSteps_english.pdf
• Good Sleep Habits
  • Sleep Hygiene: Good Sleep Habits | Sleep Health Foundation
  • https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/sleep-hygiene-good-sleep-habits
• Dementia Australia
  • Dementia – reducing your risk – Better Health Channel
  • https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-reducing-your-risk
• My Aged Care portal
  • Access Australian aged care information and services | My Aged Care
  • https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/
• Geriatrician Referred Patient Assessment and Management Plan (Items 141-147)
  • https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&qt=ItemID&q=141#assocNotes
• Advance care planning | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
  • https://www.health.gov.au/topics/palliative-care/planning-your-palliative-care/advance-care-planning
• Advance care planning forms (health.vic.gov.au)
  • https://www.health.vic.gov.au/patient-care/advance-care-planning-forms
• Australian & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (anzsgm.org)
  • https://anzsgm.org/
• Your GP
• Your local council