National Centre for Healthy Ageing - NCHA

21/09/2026

This Dementia Awareness Week, it’s time to talk about dementia. 💬💜

Did you know cognitive decline isn't just an inevitable part of getting older? There's a lot we can actively do to protect our minds, and at the National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA), we’re committed to breaking down stigma and supporting our community with practical, evidence-based knowledge.

Here’s just two ways our Centre is getting involved to help community members learn more:

📍 LOCAL COMMUNITY SESSIONS.
Our Director and Dementia specialist, Prof. Velandai Srikanth, recently visited the Belvedere Community Centre to share practical guidance on: Normal ageing vs. different types of dementia; Spotting early signs and knowing when to seek help; and Communication tips and practical support for family carers.

🎧 TUNE INTO OUR PODCAST.
Listen to our latest episode of Help! I’m Ageing. Ageing Well. Living Well. where we bust common myths about dementia, unpack risk reduction, and talk about why hope matters. "Unpacking Dementia. Can We Prevent It?” 👉 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IOJib5hEO49wtWTL4k40e

Looking for more support and advice? Check out our NCHA Community & Resources Hub: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub/dementia-and-ageing

18/09/2026

15/09/2026

⁉️ When is it time to consider residential aged care support for a loved one?

❓ Do you wait until after they fall at home or their health starts to decline?

✅ What is crucial is working with the person to understand what is best for them.

✅ The right choice starts with listening.

What matters to them while understanding the needs and concerns of those who support them?

Because good care looks at the whole person, not just the care they need.

🎙️This week’s expert guest:
PROFESSOR HELEN RAWSON, a registered nurse and leading aged care researcher – shares her insights into how to improve aged care and support older people to make choices that reflect what matters to them as their needs change.

11/09/2026

🎉 🎉 Podcast Ep 6 drops 15 September ... When is it Time for Residential Aged Care?

Most of us know very little about residential aged care homes until we need to!

What can you do today, so you and your family are better prepared when decisions need to be made if a loved one’s health or mobility declines?

🎙️ Ep 6 – When is it Time for Residential Aged Care? features Professor Helen Rawson, Registered Nurse, Deputy Head of Monash School of Nursing and Midwifery, and NCHA.

Listen and you'll learn:
🧩 What residential care actually looks like day to day
🧩 What families can do to stay involved in a loved one’s life (hint: staff want your help)
🧩 Why the decision to move a loved one into a home is not giving up
🧩 How staff play a key role in enriching residents’ lives

🎤 Discover more about the series hosted by Dr Taya Collyer and Tracy Parish, for the National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit our podcast website: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/national-centre-for-healthy-ageing/community-and-resources-hub/podcasts

08/09/2026

What is your housing situation? That’s a question frontline healthcare workers are being encouraged to ask.

Armed with that information, tailored health care can follow.

👏Thanks to the support of The Jack Brockhoff Foundation, a Monash Addiction Research Centre project team is partnering with the Peninsula University Hospital in Frankston to change emergency department (ED) conversations using research-based interventions.

🎙️This week’s expert guest: NILAKSHI GUNATILLAKA – explains how with the right training and support, these conversations can improve health care for people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.

👏 NCHA is proud to have supported this project with initial seed funding.

Monash University Bayside Health Peninsula Frankston City Council Mornington Peninsula Leader Frankston Community Noticeboard Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

01/09/2026

When you're focused on survival, every bit of support matters.

Stable housing is the goal – but it isn't the only way to help.

Compassion, practical support and listening to people's needs can improve lives long before permanent housing is found.

🎙️ On the pod, our expert guest Nilakshi Gunatillaka from Monash University explores how compassionate, practical support can improve health and wellbeing for people facing homelessness and housing instability.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts:
→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jYCCaD6kD22kq5F3sbrWp?si=1e731496d3df40a6
→ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-you-age-well-without-a-stable-home/id1896945961?i=1000785593272

→ Visit our podcast website: ncha.org.au/community/podcasts

28/08/2026

🏠 When we think about homelessness, what do we picture?

For many of us, we might imagine someone sleeping rough. But homelessness and housing instability can look very different – especially for older Australians.

An estimated 270,000 older Australians don’t have stable housing, and many are living in temporary, insecure or uncertain situations.

That can make everyday life incredibly difficult.
👉 Where will the next meal come from?
👉 Where can they shower or wash their clothes?
👉 How will they get to a doctor?
👉 Who can they talk to?
👉 And perhaps most importantly – where can they turn for help?

🎯 The good news is that the earlier we recognise that someone’s housing situation is becoming unstable, the better chance we have of supporting them before they reach a crisis.

🎙️ In our latest podcast episode, “Can You Age Well Without a Stable Home?”, we’re joined by researcher Nilakshi Gunatillaka, who is exploring how health services can better support people experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

We talk about:
🧩 What housing instability really means
🧩 Why homelessness isn’t always visible
🧩 How insecure housing can affect someone’s ability to manage their health
🧩 Why hospitals don’t always ask about housing
🧩 What NCHA research is doing to help change this
🧩 And how we can have more open conversations and reduce the stigma around homelessness

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts:

→ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jYCCaD6kD22kq5F3sbrWp
→ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-you-age-well-without-a-stable-home/id1896945961?i=1000785593272

Visit our podcast website: www.ncha.org.au/community/podcasts

25/08/2026

Imagine trying to manage a chronic disease or age well if you are experiencing unstable housing or homelessness.

This is why housing instability belongs in the health conversation.

The challenge isn’t just about finding a roof at night but getting through each day — finding a meal, having a shower, washing clothes, accessing healthcare, feeling connected, or knowing where to turn for help.

🎙️On our podcast, Help! I'm Ageing, this week’s expert researcher Nilakshi Gunatillaka explores how research is helping health services better support people facing disadvantage.

👉🏽 Listen wherever you get your podcasts or visit our podcast hub at https://www.monash.edu/medicine/news/latest/2026-articles/help!-im-ageing-podcast-explores-can-you-age-well-without-a-stable-home

24/08/2026

🧠 DEMENTIA – BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS

Join us at Belvedere Community Centre for an informative and practical session exploring dementia — what we need to know and how we can help.

We’re delighted to welcome Professor Srikanth, Director of the National Centre for Healthy Ageing, who will share valuable insights on:

• Understanding dementia and the different types
• Early signs and when to seek help
• The difference between normal ageing and dementia
• How dementia can affect communication and behaviour
• Practical ways to communicate with and support someone living with dementia

📅 Tuesday 15 September
⏰ 10:00am – 11:30am
📍 Healthy Futures Hub, 151 East Road, Seaford

This is a great opportunity for community members, families, carers and anyone interested in learning more about dementia.

📞 Register: 9776 8922
📧 Email: [email protected]

We’d love to see you there. 💙

National Centre for Healthy Ageing - NCHA

21/08/2026

🎉 🎉 Podcast Ep 5 drops 25 AUGUST ... Can You Age Well Without a Stable Home?

An estimated 270,000 older Australians don't have stable housing, and most of them aren't sleeping rough.

If you're worried about your own housing situation, or someone in your life who's struggling to find a secure home, this episode will equip you with the skills to take action.

🎙️ Ep 5 – Can You Age Well Without a Stable Home? features Nilakshi Gunatillaka, a Monash University and NCHA Living Lab project lead researcher.

Listen and you'll learn:
🧩 Homelessness is not what you think! What is housing instability?
🧩 Why insecure housing makes managing your health so challenging
🧩 Why hospitals often don't ask about it and how NCHA research is changing that
🧩 How to start a conversation to help address stigma

🎤 Discover more about the series hosted by Dr Taya Collyer and Tracy Parish, for the National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA) wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit our podcast website: www.ncha.org.au/community/podcasts