Combatting Social Isolation and Fostering Connection

What: Ageing well in the 21st century

When: Thursday, 31 October 2024

Where: 2 pm to 3 pm

Free event

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Despite all the ways we have to meet and connect, social isolation is one of the big challenges for ageing well in the 21st century.

This exciting panel discussion will explore ideas, evidence, and opportunities for addressing social isolation and connection.

The panellists will answer your questions and share their experiences, research, and ideas across a range of topics – including:

• design for connection and inclusion
• Intergenerational connections and intergenerational practice
• loneliness, mental health, and social prescribing
• the unique contexts of rural and regional areas and
• ageism and inclusive environments
• social isolation services and the role of the new Peak Body for seniors’ social isolation in Queensland.

Register for this event and:

• Learn about current research and ideas for addressing social isolation and encouraging connection and inclusion
• Explore challenges and opportunities for developing knowledge and creating change
• Share your questions, ideas, and experiences to help inform future directions

Hear from the speakers:  

Professor Nancy Pachana
Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland
Co-director of the UQ Ageing Mind Initiative
Dr Nancy Pachana is Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland, and is co-director of the UQ Ageing Mind Initiative. Her main research interests include healthy ageing, facilitating meaningful retirement transitions, anxiety in later life, and driving safety and dementia. She has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and books on various topics in the field of ageing. She is also an avid birdwatcher and traveller.

 
Associate Professor Katrina Radford
Program Director - Research Studies, Department of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management
Griffith Business School
Associate Professor Katrina Radford’s research interests focus on addressing ageism and diversity in three key areas: 1) How can we better create, and plan for, inclusive workplaces? 2) How can we better recruit, retain and support employees within the aged care sector? and 3) How can we build better systems or programs that provide quality care for an ageing population?  Her expertise also extends to trialling new innovative systems and approaches to address ageing and ageism, such as intergenerational practices and hybrid care workforces or innovative workplace trials to re-engage an older population to create the workforce of the future.

Professor Jeni Warburton
Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University
Professor Jeni Warburton is Emeritus Professor at La Trobe University. From 2008-2018, she was Chair of the John Richards Research Centre into rural ageing. Her research interests include healthy ageing, community involvement and social inclusion.

Professor Catherine Haslam
Centre Director of Social Identity and Professor in the School of Psychology
The University of Queensland
Professor Catherine Haslam is with the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. Catherine’s research interests include social identity and the social determinants of health including the impact of social group-based interventions.

Professor Evonne Miller
Director, QUT Design Lab and Queensland Health Research Chair in Healthcare Design
Professor Evonne Miller is Director of the QUT Design Lab and Queensland Health Research Chair in Healthcare Design. Evonne is interested in design for health, with expertise in design thinking, participatory co-design, co-production, futures thinking, and qualitative arts-based research and knowledge translation.