Evidence to Impact: Building and Delivering Beneficial Strength and Balance Programs

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Join us at the Positive Ageing Summit 2026 for a dynamic, evidence‑informed exercise masterclass designed to elevate your service delivery for older adults. Led by internationally recognised physiotherapist Dr Jennie Hewitt and Associate Professor Justin Keogh, this session will equip you with practical strategies for embedding progressive strength and balance training into your business model—whether you work with community‑dwelling older adults or residents in aged care. Discover how to translate the latest research into safe, engaging, and scalable programs that improve function, confidence, and quality of life. Strengthen your organisation’s impact and be at the forefront of the positive ageing innovation.

Workshop learning outcomes

1. Design and deliver safe, progressive strength and balance programs

Participants will learn to structure and deliver evidence‑informed exercise programs that progressively build strength, balance, and mobility in older adults across varied care settings.

2. Apply research‑based exercise prescription principles

Delegates will understand how to use contemporary exercise prescription theory— including program cards and proven models such as those highlighted in the SUNBEAM and GRACE trials— to create scalable, effective interventions.

3. Adapt exercise programming for common comorbidities

Participants will gain confidence in modifying exercise prescriptions to ensure safety and effectiveness for older adults living with multiple chronic conditions including osteoarthritis and dementia.

4. Enhance engagement and motivation through creative balance and functional activities

Delegates will learn practical strategies—such as games, dance‑based activities, and group participation techniques—to boost enjoyment, social connection, and adherence for older adult focused exercise programs.

5. Translate assessment outcomes into meaningful service delivery improvements

Participants will be able to use functional assessments and case‑based reasoning to monitor progress, demonstrate value, and embed exercise services within their organisation’s care or business models.

Presenters

Dr Jennie Hewitt, General Manager, Clinical Research & Reablement, Whiddon
Dr Justin Keogh, Associate Professor, Bond University

Innovation That Sticks: Implementing Practical and Evidence-based Change for Positive Ageing

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Australia’s aged care and allied health sectors are rich in evidence, ideas and innovation—yet turning good practice into everyday reality that sticks remains one of our greatest challenges.

Delivered by ARIIA, this interactive masterclass focuses on how to move from evidence to impact—supporting positive ageing through practical innovation, effective change management and implementation that works in real‑world settings.

Drawing on ARIIA’s national work in workforce capability building, best-practice resources and pragmatic implementation know-how, participants will explore:

• Why well‑intended innovations often stall—and what helps them succeed in aged care contexts
• How to apply evidence‑based and best‑practice change approaches in diverse organisational and community settings
• Practical strategies for leading and sustaining change across multidisciplinary teams drawn from ARIIA’s Knowledge and Implementation Hub, leadership programs and capability resources.
• The role of co‑design, collaboration and context in supporting positive ageing outcomes

Aged care leaders and managers and allied health professionals who want to strengthen their confidence and capability to implement change in parallel to current service delivery—without adding unnecessary complexity – will leave with clear, practical insights they can adapt to their own roles, services and communities, supporting care that is person‑centred, evidence‑informed and sustainable.

Participants will be better able to:

• Understand key enablers and barriers to implementation in aged care
• Apply practical change‑management and implementation principles to real workplace challenges
• Identify strategies to translate evidence into meaningful, measurable practice change

Presenters

Dr Rebecca Bilton, Program and Research Director, ARIIA
Dr Stephanie Champion, Research Fellow, ARIIA
Liana Donleavy, Senior Manager, Industry & Engagement, ARIIA