ActiveStrongerBetter (ASB) is a pilot project for the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie regions. It is supported by NSW Health and has shared management by Hunter Ageing Alliance and NovaCare Community Services.
NovaCare is a Professional HomeCare Services in the Hunter. The innovative, award winning support from the Hunter’s premier Home Care specialist is here to surprise, delight and help you live your way. We have community centres in Merewether, Swansea and Morisset.
Hunter Ageing Alliance is a citizen-formed advocacy group asking Government, business and organisational leaders to join them to better focus on the needs of older people. Age-friendly communities mean that planning takes the needs of older people into account, recognising that older people have the same desire to remain physically, intellectually, and socially active as younger people. This requires environmental adaptation, appropriate housing at all levels of affordability, easy access to information about services and facilities for older people, protection from elder abuse, health care services appropriate to the needs of older people and support for socially isolated people to ensure their physical and psychological well-being.
Outline of ASB proposal
ASB is a comprehensive range of low-moderate intensity exercise programs for older people in the Hunter. ASB will offer exercise sessions suitable for:
- frail older people accessing Day Centres and RACFs, through chair-based and general gentle exercise.
- older people living in the community who are generally well, through aerobic, strength and balance exercises to optimise health, mobility, and independence.
- people with particular health problems, through specific exercise programs to enhance the health management in conjunction with their health professional program.
Why do we need ASB?
An exercise program incorporating aerobic, strength and balance components is the most effective strategy to manage many, if not most, of the chronic disease problems experienced by older people and to prevent a loss of mobility and independence.
Exercise programs maximise the opportunity for older people to remain independent in their own homes and avoid residential care.
Until 2016, there was a large number of exercise programs for older people operating in the Hunter under the Heart Moves and Active over Fifties banners. The funding for these programs was withdrawn forcing the programs to close and/or change names and cease affiliation with the managing organisation.
