Seniors in Sydney are fighting to keep their preventative health classes after NSW Health announced it would soon end the program.
Around 750 people in Sydney’s east take part in the AIM/WAVES Healthy Ageing Program, which holds exercise, balance and fitness classes for seniors aged 65 and over.
South East Sydney Local Health District has informed participants that the program will end on September 27.
Lynne Poleson, 81, has been doing the classes for 25 years and said the program has been critical to keeping her osteoporosis in check.
Ms Poleson fell on Monday, injuring her arms. She says it could have been much worse. (ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowring)
She had a fall on Monday, which left her with cuts to her arms.
The 81-year-old said it could have been much worse if she had not been maintaining bone density in the classes over the last two decades.
“Any amount of research tells you how important it is to stay active and to stay involved in your community,” Ms Poleson said.
“The course works, why would you disappear it?”
Ms Poleson says participants would be willing to pay more to keep the classes going. (ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowring)
Participants pay $65 for 10 classes, which are held multiple times a week.
Ms Poleson said everyone she spoke to was willing to pay more if the program’s cost was an issue.
ABC Radio Sydney understands at least 13 alternative programs have been suggested, some of which have a two-year waitlist.
Others are out of the eastern suburbs area, meaning some senior participants would have to drive further to attend a class.
Ms Poleson is concerned about getting into a similar program nearby when so many people will also be looking.
“You’re going to have 700 people trying to find something similar to AIM, which truly doesn’t exist,” Ms Poleson said.
NSW Health will replace the program with one that focuses on patients recovering from hospital treatment.
“Prince of Wales Hospital staff are currently contacting current clients to help them find alternative local community-based exercise facilities and classes to support healthy ageing,” a spokesperson for South Eastern Sydney Local Health District said.
The spokesperson said NSW Health also provided an online directory for other fitness programs, a website with education modules and a phone coaching service to help people make healthy lifestyle changes.
The classes were held at several sites, including Prince of Wales Hospital. (ABC Radio Sydney: Declan Bowring)
On Wednesday, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park told Nine Radio they were looking into the issue.
“I understand that this is a program that is much loved in the community, and I’m prepared to have a look at it,” Mr Park told Nine Radio.
“I don’t pretend to know every single program that’s running out of a $35 billion budget, but I am always happy to have a second look at the way in which we deliver health services.”
The number of senior people falling and needing to be taken to hospital has increased substantially over the last decade.
In 2021, more than 41,000 people aged over 65 were taken to hospital in NSW after falling, according to NSW Health figures.
Only around 26,000 needed the same in 2010.
Around 100 people aged over 65 are admitted to NSW hospitals after falls every day and with an ageing population, those figures are expected to rise.
Professor Cathie Sherrington from the University of Sydney’s public health school said falls cost the NSW health system $752 million a year, making healthy ageing classes a cost-effective preventative measure.
“We have the pharmaceutical benefits scheme that funds medications, but we don’t really have an equivalent system that funds exercise interventions, despite the evidence of the benefits of them,” Professor Sherrington said.
“Falls really are a neglected problem.”
Professor Sherrington said exercise classes would help elderly participants’ bone strength, which helps against the severity of falls.
“If we have weaker bones when we fall, we’re more likely to get fractures,” she said.
