Learning how to live a healthy life
Participants in a healthy living education program run by Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS) allied health team and Asteria Services have learnt how to take better care of their physical, mental and financial health, while having fun along the way.
Thirteen Asteria clients registered for the five weekly sessions, which were offered free of charge, as part of the MDHS Community Health – Health Promotion program.
Healthy living topics covered included exercise for health, healthy eating, healthy ageing, financial literacy and mental health.
“The program was a great way for the participants to learn about some important health issues,” said MDHS Health Promotion Officer Ned Patterson.
“Many of the participants hadn’t tried things like yoga and line dancing before and they seemed to relish the opportunity to get involved, while in a familiar environment.
“It was great to tailor a program for the needs of a group that is often overlooked when talking about issues like healthy ageing and financial health.
“The partnership also offered a chance for agencies with similar goals to collaborate, strengthening action and links across the community,” he said.
The program is an example of the positive outcomes created by the ongoing collaboration between MDHS and Asteria Services, which provides tailored disability support and commercial services.
The local partners who facilitated the sessions included Amy Sonsie from Take a Breath wellness studio, Linda Borner from Child and Family Services, Ballarat and Chris Evans, who ran a popular line dancing session.
“The program was extremely valuable to the participants,” said Asteria Services Groups Coordinator Claire de Natris.
“It was so great they could engage with different organisations from the health sector to take part in meaningful health discussions.
“The presenters were all fantastic, with financial literacy being a particular highlight for the group.
“The group loved the offering of different exercises each week, which was followed by a very informative presentation,” said Ms de Natris.
“If we had the opportunity, we would definitely love to run the program again.”