Well elders: thriving through participating and contributing. Explore in depth the factors that influence older people’s wellbeing.

Shift societal attitudes away from perceived "deficits" of aging, such as declining health, toward recognising and promoting older people’s capacity to lead purposeful and meaningful lives.

For the aging baby boomer generation depression and anxiety are more prevalent, therefore promoting mental wellbeing needs to be a primary focus.

Take a social determinant approach and learn why we need to address factors such as loneliness, loss of independence, elder abuse, significant bereavement, deteriorating health, terminal illness, poverty, redundancy, and retirement.

Aotearoa-New Zealand’s aged population is growing rapidly. There are more and more people living longer in old age. The World Health Organisation has identified that as the baby boomer generation ages, many will enjoy reasonable physical health, however mental health issues, in particular depression and anxiety, will be a prevalent health issue. Therefore promoting mental wellbeing must be a major focus for those working with older people.

A older person's sense of wellbeing is determined by proven social, economic and cultural factors that either positively or negatively impact on older people. It is much broader than a wellness approach. How best to address factors such as loneliness, diminishing physical health, income and food security, significant loss, elder abuse, the invisibility of older people, cultural alienation and impacts of rural to urban migration and immigration from the Pacific Islands in the 1950's and 60's using a wellbeing framework will be a focus of the workshops.

However, while promoting wellbeing is an effective strategy in mitigating the impact of mood and anxiety disorders in older people, it should not be the primary aim of wellbeing promotion. The emphasis must be on ageing well and thriving elders.

Hear from an experienced wellbeing specialist who has lectured and implemented numerous wellbeing programmes at the local, national and international levels.

Over recent years there has been a greater awareness of the fundamental role that wellbeing plays in enabling individuals and communities to thrive. Take the opportunity to learn how older peoples' workers and agencies can put wellbeing at the heart of what they do that enables older people to thrive. This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the research, evidence and latest international thinking on promoting wellbeing in older people as applied to the Aotearoa-New Zealand context

Well elders: thriving through participating and contributing

Informed by social, cultural and environmental determinants, adopting a wellbeing framework enable workers and agencies to identify how they can be "agents of wellbeing" for older people and how to incorporate wellbeing outcomes into their work. Based on these determinants and frameworks it is possible to develop an evidence-based programme logic with clear wellbeing outcomes and indicators and evaluation tools. An overview of the determinants and outcomes will be covered in the workshop.

Mental wellbeing is not just the responsibility of the health sector, the workshop is ideal training for anyone working with older people in:

aged care facilities
churches
community based older people agencies
local government
older persons' mental health services
primary health care

The training does not offer a ready-made older peoples' wellbeing package but rather helps participants to:

understand the underlying theory, principles and best practice in promoting mental wellbeing,
identify the enablers and disablers of wellbeing in older people,
to move from an outputs to outcomes focus in designing wellbeing programmes or activities

TAYLORMADE TRAINING AND CONSULTING IS PROUD TO BE AN AGE CONCERN DIGNITY CHAMPION
TAKING A STAND AGAINST AGEISM AND PROMOTING POSITIVE AGEING

Contact the host of Well Elders: A Masterclass in promoting wellbeing in older people - Te Waiharakeke - Blenheim (WE2026/07)