Meaningful Ageing Australia is delighted to announce a series of regional seminars to be held in the first half of 2018.
These have been made possible with the support of Prime Super.
Each seminar is being hosted by one of our members. We are very excited about spending time engaging with staff and volunteers across Australia to encourage you in understanding each older person’s need for meaning, purpose and connectedness.
For more information and booking links, go to our events page
The locations are (current at the date of publication):
| Location | Date | Meaningful Ageing Member Host |
| Albany WA | 27-Feb | Hall and Prior |
| Busselton WA | 1-Mar | Baptistcare WA |
| Darwin NT | 7-Mar | Southern Cross Care SA/NT |
| Katherine, NT | 8-Mar | Roper Gulf Regional Council |
| Townsville, Qld | 21-Mar | Arcare |
| Cairns QLD | 23-Mar | Blue Care (UnitingCare Qld) |
| Port Macquarie, NSW | 11-Apr | Catholic Care of the Aged Port Macquarie |
| Gosford, NSW | 12-Apr | Presbyterian Aged Care |
| Shellharbour, NSW | 1-May | Warrigal |
| Griffith, ACT | 3-May | BaptistCare NSW/ACT |
| Lismore, NSW | 16-May | Uniting NSW/ACT |
| Tamworth, NSW | 17-May | RFBI |
| Bendigo, Vic | 29-May | Uniting Agewell Vic/Tas |
| Devonport, TAS | 5-Jun | Baptcare |
| Tanunda, SA | 17-May | Tanunda Lutheran Aged Care |
| Mount Gambier, SA | 19-Jun | Resthaven |
| Rockhampton, Qld | 21-Jun | Prescare QLD |
Further information
Regional Aged Care Services, Volunteers and Residents to Benefit from Access to Spiritual Care Training
Regional aged care organisations and their staff – including volunteers and community members – around Australia will have a rare opportunity for locally provided professional development in spiritual care to inform, inspire and celebrate their work with the older people for whom they care.
From February to June 2018 Meaningful Ageing Australia, in partnership with Prime Super, will provide training in 17 regional centres across Australia starting in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland.
Hosted by local Meaningful Ageing aged care service members, participants will choose from a range of spirituality topics based on local needs. The seminars are open to all other aged care services and volunteers as well as community members who may be interested in the sessions.
Meaningful Ageing CEO Ilsa Hampton said that regional Australia offers some of the best aged care in Australia, where “relationships can be more readily kept at the heart of what they offer.”
“Due to the tyranny of distance, regional Australia sometimes misses out on the best education available in metropolitan areas, so there is definitely a need for this education in regional Australia,” she said.
“The beauty and challenge of contemporary spiritual care gives staff the opportunity to engage with what it means to integrate spiritual care from within their own situation, personally as well as professionally.
“In addition, our upcoming review of the National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care will be informed in part by conversations at these seminars.”
“Many of our members are excited about the opportunity to host a session for their staff, volunteers and community.”
“We are delighted to partner with Prime Super to make this possible.”
Prime Super CEO Lachlan Baird is enthusiastic about the new partnership. “Prime Super has a strong focus on providing the best retirement possible for members in regional Australia.”
“Improved knowledge on spirituality and caring for our older Australians adds to that experience for people, so we are delighted to assist by sponsoring this initiative.”
Topics on offer include: Introduction to spirituality and contemporary spiritual care in aged care; Acknowledging diversity (ours and others’); Spiritual conversations; Supporting older people in the transition to aged care; Death, Dying and Hope – conversations about end of life; Responding to loss and grief; and Family or Resident Conversations.
If requested, Meaningful Ageing will also offer a seminar in Understanding Islam and Muslim spirituality to assist care providers to understand the care needs of Muslims and their families and respond in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner.
For more information and booking links, go to our events page