A big thank you to everyone who joined us at our Meaningful connections at every age event last week in celebration of International Day of Older Persons with keynote speaker Geraldine Doogue AO. We can't believe it's a week already since we took the opportunity to celebrate older people and their many contributions.

Today we're pleased to share some pictures and insights from that event to help us connect, age well and live well at every age.

Something Geraldine shared which has long stayed with her is wisdom imparted by her colleague Dr Norman Swan who alerted her to a key to flourishing as we age "forget the Sudoku and the language learning, he said to me years ago…..keep up regular, not necessarily brilliant, normal social contact! That’s the secret….to both surviving….and surviving better."

Some key ideas shared on the day for staying connected included:

• Look to family the first and most accessible form of intergenerational interaction
• Local community activities and events are a great way to get out there and meet people
• Get involved, no need to wait for an invitation - if you're unsure perhaps you could go with a friend, or if you have a friend who's hesitating to get out there, perhaps invite them to activities you're already involved with
• If something doesn't already exist, you could be the one to start it!
• Mutual care can flourish on the internet - there could be a place there for you, usually based on a common interest

On the flipside, along with these insights, shared by both Geraldine and the panel, Geraldine admitted that she has also become more discerning and mindful about how she spends her time and and who she spends it with - and that's OK too!

Get out there, stay connected - and do it on your own terms.

Watch our website for more insights from the event, including Geraldine's self-audit suggestions and what the attendees told us they'd like younger people to know about ageing well.

A big thank you also to our partners and sponsors who supported this event - without whom this event could not happen.