News

2012 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards

The Victorian Senior of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements of older Victorians. People who, since turning 60, have made significant contributions to our communities.

If you know someone who deserves recognition for their outstanding contribution to a local community or the state of Victoria, why not nominate them for the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards? The Awards offered are:

• The Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year
• The Veteran Community Award
• Promotion of Multiculturalism Award
• The Healthy and Active Living Award
• Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria Senior Achiever Awards.

Nominations are accepted from 14 May 2012 and will close on 20 July 2012. Winners will be acknowledged at a special reception on 5 October 2012, leading into this year’s Victorian Seniors Festival.

Visit the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards page for details.

Free seasonal influenza vaccine

Did you know that seasonal influenza vaccine is free for eligible people?

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is caused by a highly contagious virus that is spread by coughs and sneezes. Every year it causes illness in the community, and can have severe complications for those with underlying health conditions.

To minimise the health risk, a free seasonal influenza vaccine is strongly recommended and available for :

• People 65 years of age and over
• Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 15 years of age and over
• Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• Any person six months of age and over with a condition predisposing to severe influenza illness that requires regular medical follow-up or hospitalisation such as: cardiac disease; chronic respiratory disease; kidney disease, diabetes, impaired immunity and chronic neuromuscular disease
• People with other chronic illnesses requiring regular medical follow-up or hospitalisation, for example severe asthmatics that require frequent medical visits.

For further information, please visit www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation.

Active Ageing Network Forum

On Monday 28th May 2012 (9:30am -4.10pm), the Active Ageing Network Forum 'Health and Wellbeing as We Grow Older' is taking place at William Angliss Institute Conference Centre.

There will be 15 speakers focusing on topics such as:

• Strengthening the capacity of the Victorian health and fitness sector to plan and provide appropriate physical activity for older adults
• Increasing the capacity of the Victorian health and fitness sector to deliver appropriate safe and sustainable physical activities for older adults
• Providing research focussing on the benefits of physical activity and the health and wellbeing of older adults, including prevention and management of chronic diseases
• Promoting best practice physical activity programs for older adults.
• Fostering an increase in the physical activity levels of older adults 

If you are interested in health and wellbeing of older adults, you can register to attend now.  Visit the Active Ageing Network.

Make use of your carer card

More than 140,000 primary carers in Victoria play a critical role supporting others in the community.

The Carer Card program provides carers of all types (including, foster, kinship and respite carers) with:

• A wide range of discounts and benefits on offer from businesses, the local government and community organisations
• Free travel on public transport on a Sunday plus two return off-peak travel vouchers each year.

There are over 1,400 places where a discount, deal or special offer is available for carers and it is free for carers and businesses to join.

For more information visit the Carer Card website.

Want to volunteer your skills?

Victoria's Volunteering Portal is an online resource for Victorians to inform, support and inspire everyone to get involved in volunteering, the site provides:

• Information for people about how, where and why to volunteer.
• Opportunities to share stories, recognise achievements, give feedback and learn through others in the volunteering community
• A search tool that links volunteers with opportunities across rural, regional and metropolitan Victoria.
• You can also register to volunteer in an emergency, such as helping with the clean-up and recovery from Victoria's 2012 flooding events

If you are a volunteer, or thinking about volunteering, take a look at Victoria’s volunteering portal today.

New grants program!

A new small grants program to create or expand opportunities for isolated culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) seniors to participate in the community opened in March 2012.

Being socially active is important for health and wellbeing, and evidence shows that older people from CALD backgrounds can face a higher risk of social isolation.

As part of the Victorian Government's Participation for CALD Seniors Grants Program, eligible organisations are able to apply for up to $10,000 to help generate opportunities for socially isolated CALD seniors to engage in their communities.

The first round closed for applications on 27 April 2012. To find out more, visit the Community Programs page.

A simple, at-home test can save your life

Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer affecting both men and women aged 50 or over. Across Australia, it kills around 80 people every week.

More than 3,500 Victorian men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and about 1,300 people die from it. However, 90% of bowel cancers can be cured if found early.

Screening for bowel cancer is easy. It involves doing a simple test called a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) in the privacy of your own home. Because bowel cancer often develops without symptoms, the National Health and Medical Research Council recommends screening for bowel cancer via FOBT every two years from the age of 50.

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) is currently offering screening for people turning 50, 55 and 65 years of age between January 2011 and December 2014. People who are eligible will receive a free test kit in the mail.

For more information on the Program visit National Bowel Cancer Screening Program website.

If you are over 50 and not eligible for the national Program, speak to your doctor about bowel cancer screening or call Cancer Council Victoria on 13 11 20 for more information.

Getting the most out of your doctor's appointment:
Strengthening the partnership between you and your doctor

The conversation you and your doctor have is important for your health. While it is important, it is not always easy. This year the Victorian Quality Council produced the Talking with your doctor: A guide for older people booklet and short video clips. These resources aim to help you get the most out of your doctor's visit, get better and stay healthy. The resources discuss a range of topics, including:

• Finding a doctor
• Getting started with a new doctor
• Preparing for your appointment
• Talking to your doctor
• Communicating well
• Asking questions
• Making decisions with your doctor
• Talking to specialists
• Talking about sensitive issues
• Assessing health information on the Internet.

The Talking with your doctor guide and short video clips are available online.

Check out the resources today

If you are unable to download the resources, a copy of the guide and video clips can be sent to you by calling the Victorian Quality Council on 9096 1380.