Plenty to learn: New program to add an extra dose of wellness to people's lives

How would you like to get some tips for cooking delicious food that's extra nutritious, boost your mental wellbeing, find out about the latest technology for your home to make life easier, and get some advice about legal matters?

These are just some of the workshops and presentations in a free program launched in January in the Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter region aimed at providing support for the senior members of the community.

The Wellness and Reablement Program is part of the government's Commonwealth Home Support Program Innovation Fund and includes a wide range of education and personal development workshops delivered by qualified and experienced professionals.

Workshops are being held every two weeks from now until June in six locations across the region including Denman, Aberdeen, Scone, Murrurundi, Merriwa and Muswellbrook.

Tish Kennedy-Wood, program officer at TransCare, which is delivering the program for its clients, said the activities have all been selected to provide some valuable extra skills that can improve people's everyday lives.

"The activities and topics we've chosen are all based on building skills for our clients just to make their lives a little bit easier. We want to help them to stay as independent, happy and healthy as we can for as long as possible," Miss Kennedy-Wood said.

"These are skills, ideas and activities they might not have necessarily known about that they can take away and apply to their own lives.

"The workshops are a great opportunity to get out in the community and learn something new while enjoying the company of other people."

Miss Kennedy-Wood said the sessions about mental health and the interactive cooking demonstrations were proving particularly popular.

The cooking demonstrations are being provided by The Wholesome Collective from Newcastle which specialises in showing people how to cook a delicious meal using every day seasonal ingredients that are good for your health without skimping on flavour.

Founded by Accredited Practising Dietitian Kerryn Boogaard and Home Economist Mary Wills, The Wholesome Collective aims to "un-complicate nutrition and help vulnerable members of the community overcome barriers to cooking and eating".

Miss Kennedy-Wood said more and more research is pointing to the importance of a nutritious diet to good mental health and happiness.

"Mental health basically starts in our gut; the nutrition that we put into our body creates the chemical reaction we need in our brain to be happy," she said.

"And what's also emerging, and this is why we are seeing programs like this, is the awareness that mental health is an issue in the aged population.

"This program is about looking at ways people can improve their happiness and mental health around the home and in the community."

To find out more about the Wellness and Reablement program and the different sessions being offered head to the TransCare website www.transcare.org.au or contact Tish Kennedy-Wood on 6545 3113.

TransCare is a not for profit organisation established in 2008 and based in Scone. We provide community services to people in the Muswellbrook Shire Council and Upper Hunter Shire Council areas including transport, in-home assistance, community wellbeing and social events.

This is sponsored content for TransCare.