Featured Resource

Snapshot  

Through funding under the ActiveKIT program Noosa Shire Council delivers the Ageing Well Noosa program.

Ageing Well Noosa is a council initiative for residents aged 65 and over to participate in weekly low- cost physical activity classes at the Noosa Leisure Centre. 

Background 

Older residents are important to the Noosa region which represents 27.9% (QLD average 17%) of the population within the Noosa community. Noosa Shire Council acknowledges the important role older people play and recognise their contributions to the local fabric of the Noosa community. The Noosa region offers many services, programs and activities that help the region’s residents age well. Noosa Shire Council offers seniors in the shire support through the Living Well Noosa program and Noosa Community Support. 

• Living Well Noosa offers seniors a range of free and low-cost activities for people aged 65 and over (or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples) to encourage individuals to be healthy and active. The Living Well Noosa talks a holistic view of active ageing, to promote overall good physical, social, mental and spiritual wellbeing.  
• Noosa Community Support includes centre-based day and flexible respite, personal care, house cleaning, meal and transport assistance, shopping and social support, home maintenance and minor modifications. 

Project implementation  

Through funding under the ActiveKIT program, Noosa Shire Council delivers the 40 week Ageing Well Noosa program for seniors to improve their mental and physical health in Noosa. The program has had more than 410 participants, aged 65 and over from the Peregian Beach, Noosa and Noosa hinterland areas. The beginner’s gentle senior’s classes aim to improve balance and body strength and increase joint mobility and flexibility in friendly classes to help reduce arthritic pain, lose weight and thrive. The classes are held on a Wednesday morning and conclude with free refreshments. 

Key strategies used for the program participation include a collaborative partnerships approach involving target cohorts in the planning, implementation and the evaluation of programs, using an evidence-based approach to addressing individual needs in the Noosa Shire Region. Working alongside health services that can best support older people in the Noosa region in the future has also been established through coordinators of Ageing Well Noosa working with the Living Well Noosa program and Noosa Community Support. The aim of funded Ageing Well Noosa is to sustain and build on initiatives that support the health and wellbeing of the ageing population of the Noosa region. 

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning  

Participants experience in the ActiveKIT funded Ageing Well Noosa program will be measured through survey and engagement pre-program, mid-program and post-program and testimonials, self-reported participant experience, attendance numbers and case studies. Post-project: Of the participants, 71.5% reported having an increase in physical activity at the completion of the program. Prior to participation, 40.23% of participants reported having a decrease in physical activity due to the implications resulting from COVID-19. The results suggested the Ageing Well Noosa program assisted with the ability of participants to maintain their physical activity in the wake of the pandemic. Overall, the Ageing Well Noosa program has shown a strong achievement through the major expansion of health and wellbeing initiatives available to older people to get healthy and active. Results of the program exceeded the expectations of Ageing Well Noosa program coordinators with participants aspiring to increase for participants by 10% their social inclusion and physical activities. Participants reported:  

• 19.47% increase in moderate intensive activities 
• 12.85% increase in strength activities 
• 7.72% increase in balance and flexibility 
• 65.3% increase in social engagement. 

Funding and resources  

Through funding under the ActiveKIT program Noosa Shire Council delivers the Ageing Well Noosa program. Participants pay $5 per class which is available weekly at the Noosa Leisure Centre. 

Key Insights 

The program was designed using a data capture through a Community Engagement to identify the current levels of physical activity, social participation and perceived health for seniors aged 65 and over in the Noosa Shire Region. Initially, a community engagement was conducted to gather health data and community needs which was used as ‘baseline data’ to provide a health snapshot of the Noosa Community. A longitudinal study design was used to analyse the same individual’s health data at the start of the program, 3-month progress and at the completion. During community engagement, 327 responses were collected during community engagement creating our ‘baseline’ data, followed by 167 at the start of the program, 102 at the 3-month progress and 105 at the completion of the program. 

Next steps 

Participants in the Noosa Shire Council Ageing Well Noosa program have indicated through completion surveys that the top 5 activities they would like to participate in are activities for strength and stability, guided bushwalking, kayaking, social activities and Tai Chi. 

The Noosa Shire Council’s Living Well Noosa program will continue to build on the health outcomes from the Ageing Well Noosa program guided by community needs. 

Key contact details  

Contact name: Andy of Independence Movement 
Contact phone number: 0452 255 527 
Contact email address: commdev@noosa.qld.gov.au 
Noosa Leisure Centre: 9 Wallace Drive Noosaville QLD 4566