Clunes part of living and ageing well project in Hepburn Shire

The Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn project has foundations in existing social and community activities, but this is about forming a holistic approach and strengthening connections.

A Clunes healthy ageing hub prototype will promote social engagement, participation and well-being while also inspiring healthy habits and supports for physical, mental and social health.

Key to this is also developing ways to break down barriers to health in small, ageing towns, such as access to transport and access or knowledge of technology.

Clunes Neighbourhood House is teaming with Central Highlands Rural Health and community group Attitude Ageing Well in Clunes to pool resources for ways to improve the lives of older residents, with a focus on the community's retirees.

Lana de Kort, who manages Clunes Neighbourhood House, said the project was not about telling people how to age but involving them in solutions.

"We know know people live and age well if they're with their friends and have access to mental and physical health services," she said.

"They need an opportunity to be involved in solutions themselves with the community working together across all ages and organisations to ensure greater success."

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Ms de Kort said Clunes' strong town spirit and history of collaboration helped attract backing for the project from the Western Victorian Primary Health Network. Part of the project will be on strengthening connections and expanding the program's reach across the region with Daylesford, Trentham and Creswick.

Attitude Ageing Well in Clunes' Tessa Brady said the project should broader the reach to a wider cross-section of the community and better introduce people to allied and chronic health outreach programs in the town.

Dr Brady said this was a chance to form a model that could be replicated and adapted to other communities' needs.

"Clunes set out to rewrite the book on ageing with the establishment of a community-led activities group we call Attitude, and it's exciting that our ideas to rethink ageing and living well are being endorsed by traditional service providers and, in particular, their partnership in developing what a Healthy Ageing Hub might look like," said Dr Brady.

Mecwacare, which runs Ballan Health and Care services, will also run a healthy ageing hub in Ballan.

In Ballan, this will include a full-time registered nurse with farming experience to provide outreach services. There will also be a range of medical, physical rehabilitation, telehealth and pathology services, as well as an on-site pool and gym for rehabilitation and general fitness.

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