Shaping the Future of Ageing: Wentworth Healthcare Hosts Inaugural Healthy Ageing Conference

Wentworth Healthcare, provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network (NBMPHN), held their inaugural Healthy Ageing Conference at the Western Sydney Conference Centre in Penrith on Saturday 5 April. Over 100 health professionals attended the event including general practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals.

Dr Norman Swan, physician, broadcaster and author, was the keynote speaker and MC for the conference which was the first of its kind in the Nepean Blue Mountains region, which spans the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Lithgow and Penrith areas.

The event was opened by Senator Tony Sheldon, Senator for NSW, and provided a full day of education to empower primary healthcare professionals to support older people to live well, for longer, in the community. Presentations by speakers focused on proactive approaches to healthy ageing, including promoting cognitive health, supporting individuals after a dementia diagnosis, fostering social connection, mobility and falls prevention, encouraging good nutrition, managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, and strategies to manage medication. The event provided opportunities for health integration by encouraging connections and information sharing between health professionals.

Wentworth Healthcare CEO, Lizz Reay, said that the conference provided a platform to highlight and acknowledge the crucial role that primary healthcare plays in keeping people healthy and happy as they age, so that they can remain at home for as long as possible.

“We know that more than one in every three general practice visits are now with people aged 65 years and over. This is because the healthcare needs of older people can be complex, with one in two people over 65 years experiencing multiple chronic conditions, as well as increased health risks,” she said.

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