A referral from a GP or Allied Health provider are required for this service.

• Participants aged over 65 years old or over 55 years if they are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• The participant lives in the community and does not currently reside in a Residential Aged Care Home
• The participant has scored more than 1 in the FRAIL scale risk assessment
• The participant is at risk of frailty and presents with one or more of the following: social isolation, poor self-care, recent hospitalisation, polypharmacy, multimorbidity, falls, poor nutritional intake, low socio-economic, mood changes.
• The participant is unable to access mainstream services that are available privately, through private health insurance or the medical benefit scheme)
• The participant receives a Commonwealth pension and/or holds a current health care care.
• The participant can give voluntary, informed consent and participate in group activities.
• The participant is not in palliative care.

The 12-week contact program includes weekly themes inclusive of cognition, general health, functional independence, social support, nutrition, mood, continence, and functional performance. These sessions compliment an evidence informed exercise program specifically designed for the older population. Under the supervision of appropriately (AHPRA) registered health professionals, students will assess, develop and deliver evidenced based approaches to achieve lifestyle changes.

The program is an entrance to individual assessment and services from occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dieticians, and exercise scientists provided by the Bond Institute of Health and Sport at Robina. BUnyAH provides a unique interprofessional and intergenerational approach to reducing frailty in the community, accompanied by a longer-term research strategy lead by Bond University in partnership with Avanti Health Centres and the Gold Coast PHN.

Program structure:

1. Two sessions per week over 12 weeks
2. One hour group education, followed by a supervised group exercise program and individual therapies, as required
3. Pre and post clinical assessments by exercise science, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and dietetics/nutrition.
4. Lifestyle changes sustained by referral to continuing services, as required.

The 12-week program will be conducted at Avanti Health Centre, Gold Coast Surgery Centre, Level 1, 103-113 Nerang Street, Southport.

Individual follow-up and longer term services will be offered from Bond University Institute of Health and Sport at 1 Promethean Way, Robina.

BUnyAH Interprofessional Healthy Lifestyles Program

Professor Susan Brandis

Bond University Allied Health (BUnyAH)

Interprofessional Healthy Lifestyle Program

Email: BUnyAH@bond.edu.au