NCHA Ageing Well Clinics

The Ageing Well Allied Health Student-led Clinics have been established to promote and enable healthy ageing in the community. Each clinic is designed by allied health professional clinicians and researchers working at Monash University’s School of Primary and Allied Health Care, and delivered with input from Monash allied health students undertaking professional practice education placements in the Clinics.

Project background

The aim of the Ageing Well Allied Health Student-led Clinics is two-fold – offering innovative health and wellbeing services that support the healthy ageing of community members, whilst delivering high-quality educational opportunities to the future allied health workforce.

What are the project aims?

This project has three aims:

1. Design, document, implement and evaluate the pilot delivery of a suite of Ageing Well Allied Health Student-led Clinics provided to consenting adults, delivered by allied health students undertaking practice education placements and supervised by qualified allied health professionals. These clinics focus on physical activity, education, information and/or community connection
2. Evaluate program participant experiences and outcomes achieved through Clinic participation
3. Test and evaluate learning opportunities to enhance interprofessional learning experiences and group-based program implementation for Monash University allied health students, with a focus on person-centred care.

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Ageing Well Clinics

The Clinics established to date include:

Physical Activity and Mobility Clinic

This clinic is focused on physical activity, balance and mobility exercise to enable healthy ageing. It has been piloted with adults with disability, and older adults living in the community. It is a Physiotherapy student-led clinic. The clinic runs in 4 - 6 week blocks, with participants attending for 1 hour, once a week.

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Maintaining Independence at Home Clinic

This clinic offers education, information and group-based social connection with a focus on maintaining independence at home for adults in middle and older adulthood. Clinic sessions offer information, education and capacity building on topics such as task modification, home set up and use of assistive technology for safety and independence, evidence-based strategies to maintain or enhance health and wellbeing, meaningful time use, energy conservation and activity pacing.

It is an Occupational Therapy student-led clinic. The clinic runs in seven-week blocks, with participants attending for two hours, one day per week.

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Further Clinics include:

• Be Your Best Telehealth Program
• Pulmonary Maintenance Program
• Floor Rise Program
• Functional Fitness Testing Program

All programs are goal directed and focus on participant achievement of goals to age well.

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Keen to learn more about the Ageing Well Clinics Program Schedule, or to register your interest?

Visit the Ageing well programs and events page on our NCHA Community and Resources Hub

Or contact our Student Clinics Project Officer, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University
Phone: (03) 9904 4415 or Email: alliedhealthclinics@monash.edu

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Research and data collection

Each clinic is evaluated via a research framework which enables measurement of both clinic participant and allied health student outcomes, and all data is collected and stored on a secure database at Monash University.

Who are the clinics for?

The clinics are offered free of charge to community members who can provide their own consent for research participation, and may benefit from being involved in an allied health student-led clinic.

What makes these clinics unique?

The Clinics are hosted at the Healthy Futures Hub in Seaford. The Healthy Futures Hub is a vibrant community space developed by Monash University’s School of Primary and Allied Health Care in collaboration with St Kilda Football Club, the Frankston City Council, and various community sport, health, disability and aged care service providers.

The Healthy Futures Hub is dedicated to facilitating and promoting positive health and wellbeing across a variety of areas, with the facility hosting 10 organisations (including Monash University’s School of Primary and Allied Health Care and Peninsula Health) and specialising in intergenerational health and wellbeing, all abilities service delivery and community sport.

For details, go to www.healthyfutureshub.com.au

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Images of the Monash University Space at the Healthy Futures Hub, including sound-proof telehealth booths

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Want to know more?

Contact:

Student Clinics Project Officer
School of Primary and Allied Health Care
Monash University

T: (03) 9904 4415
E: alliedhealthclinics@monash.edu