Mental Health Aged
Care Conference 2025
MHAC
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
DAY 1 - Wednesday 18th June, 2025
0915 - 0930
Intro & Setting the Scene
A warm welcome to our 2 days of learning, sharing & discussion ...
Wayne Woff - Senior Consultant, AHCE & Conference Chair
Session 1: 0930 - 1000
Mental Health in Aged Care in 2025
Our opening session will lay the foundation for the conference by outlining the current landscape including key facts, contemporary thinking/practice, client engagement, research … and future directions. Wellness vs Illness, prevention vs treatment …
Sunil Bhar - Professor of Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology
Session 2: 1000 - 1045
Caring for the whole person, their choices & their life
Understanding a person and their mental health needs is achieved when we allow ourselves to see the whole person and all aspects that impact them. Physical health, pain, culture, trauma, spirituality, social identity & so much more. All these factors need to be considered for a holistic approach.
Maggie How-Ely - Psychogeriatric Nurse Practitioner, Lyndoch Living
1045 - 1115
AM Tea - Trade Display & Networking
Session 3: 1115 - 1200
A lifetime of "sensitisation": the missing link in mental health care for older adults.
This session will focus on the presenter’s work over the past 2 years with older adults. He has achieved significant success in helping these clients reduce anxiety with education and practices to help them re-regulate the nervous system and desensitise. Building on the work of Dr Claire Weekes, the outcomes and practices will be explored.
Samuel Eddy - Founder, Open Change | Educator | Speaker | Executive Coach
Session 4: 1200 - 1245
Nurturing the Spirit
This presentation will explore the role of spirituality in mental health and emotional wellbeing for older people. Research shows that older people receiving mental health services want to discuss spirituality and want spiritual care, but how well placed are organisations or health professionals to engage or assess it? Are we ready or reluctant?
Rachael Wass - CEO, Meaningful Ageing Australia
1245 - 1345
Lunch - Trade Display & Networking
Session 5: 1345 - 1430
Exercise + Mental Health - a holistic approach
When left untreated mental health decline can negatively spiral with significant, deleterious physical, social and cognitive impacts. Exercise participation is an evidence-based countermeasure with benefits ranging across physical, social and mental health and wellbeing. Benefits do not discriminate by the clients starting point and are enhanced when client care is planned through a holistic lens - inclusive of purpose and engagement.
Tim Henwood - Principal, AgeFIT Solutions
Session 6: 1430 - 1515
Social Prescribing - responding to the very definition of “Health”
The WHO constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Social prescribing responds to this definition in the most meaningful manner. Let’s hear more …
Maria Hussey - Wellbeing Coordinator, IPC Health
1515 - 1545
PM Tea - Trade Display & Networking
Session 7: 1545 - 1630
Suicide - meeting the challenge
According to the AIHW (2023), one of the highest rates of death by suicide occurs in men over 85 years. Mental Health services & professionals have a key role to play. Let’s discuss appropriate organisational & professional responses in terms of policies, assessment, risk management, education …
Sharon Bower - Director Research and Development, Suicide Prevention Australia
0915 - 0930
Intro & Setting the Scene
Whether in a home, community care or residential setting the quality of clinical care provided is a key determinant of an older person's quality of life. And so to Day 2 ...
Wayne Woff - Senior Consultant, AHCE & Conference Chair
Session 8: 0930 - 1000
Lived Experience Expertise: The Value of Peer Work in Acute Aged Mental Health Care
There are two very distinct roles in Peer Work which involves individuals using their consumer or carer lived experience to support others, fostering a sense of connection, hope and empowerment. Both roles bring a unique perspective and understanding of what Peer Work is but for organisations that don’t currently employ lived experience peer workers, what can we learn from the insight of those with Lived Experience Expertise?
Violeta Peterson - Director of Carer Lived/Living Experience, Alfred Mental and Addiction Health (AMAH); Bettina Abbott - Consumer Peer Worker; Sarosh Shareef - Carer Peer Worker
Session 9: 1000 - 1045
Uniting Mental Health Hub - Transformation, Innovation & Collaboration
Uniting Annesley and Locke Haven are two mental health and homeless specialised residential aged care homes in the Inner West of Sydney and together they form the Uniting Mental Health Hub. Focused on supporting vulnerable individuals over 65, the Hub has become a leader in Mental health care services. This session will explore the innovative care model, policy creation, education packages, key collaborations .... that have shaped their success.
Jenn McPherson - Service Manager & Mental Health Lead, Uniting Annesley; Elise Seach - Service Manager, Uniting Locke Haven
1045 - 1115
AM Tea - Trade Display & Networking
Session 10: 1115 - 1200
Trauma Informed Care - towards Recovery
Trauma comes in many forms. Older adults having lived 60, 70 or 80 plus years will have experienced some form of trauma during their lives. Our challenge is how we identify, understand & respond in a manner that supports recovery.
Anne-Laure Couineau - Director of Policy & Practice, Phoenix Australia
Session 11: 1200 - 1245
Mental Health ‘Matters’
A selection of innovations, ideas & resources
From a selection of speakers
1245 - 1345
Lunch - Trade Display & Networking
Session 12: 1345 - 1430
Medications - maximising the benefits
The session will provide a contemporary update on mental health & medications - selection, guidelines, adverse effects, misuse, interactions & consumer collaboration.
Neil Petrie - Consultant Pharmacist at PRN Consulting
Session 13: 1430 - 1515
Self and Carer Support - a vital ingredient
A key consideration in the provision of Mental Health Services is the ‘caring for self’ conversation as well as how we support & positively collaborate with a person’s carers/families/friends. For you & your organisation is this rhetoric or reality?
Steve Aivaliotis - Director, Mediator Proactive Complaints Management
1515 - 1530
Conference wrap & close
A final summation of the 2 days of learning, sharing & discussion ...
Wayne Woff - Senior Consultant, AHCE & Conference Chair
DAY 2 - Thursday 19th June, 2025
END OF PROGRAM
CONTACT US
All Enquiries to the AHCE Team - contact@agedandhealthcareeducation.com.au
OR
Wayne Woff Senior Consultant
0422 484 209 | wayne@agedandhealthcareeducation.com.au |
