“Loneliness impacts our entire community. It’s time to reduce the stigma, and address it collectively, as a community.”
That was one of the important messages shared by expert guest speaker Dr Lidia Engel, at today’s annual Federation Forum, hosted by Spectrum.
The theme was ‘Overcoming Loneliness for Better Health’. Seniors, carers, and community members from across Melbourne’s north gathered for a lively event full of connection, all with the goal of tackling an issue that impacts more than 60% of people over 60.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Spectrum Federation Forum without fabulous food, music, laughter and dancing! Smiles were had and joy was restored through beautiful Greek choir music and a special Vietnamese flower ceremony. But bravely, all of our participants, from many different walks of life, shared one thing in common – an understanding of loneliness.
To begin, many participants spoke about their experiences of loneliness, and how it came about. For some, they experienced loneliness after the loss of a husband, wife or loved one, children moving away for work or their retirement. For others, not having a cultural community or regular social responsibilities added to their sense of isolation. Others have responsibilities or health concerns to manage, such as being a carer, or navigating sickness or disability, that made it hard for them to maintain a strong sense of connection.
As Abiola Akinbiyi, Chairperson of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV) explained, seniors from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are uniquely impacted by language barriers that prevent them accessing services and social activities, and underlines the importance of teaching digital literacy – to help them get online and connecting to friends and loved ones in other places.
Loneliness is very common, but if you feel it – you’re not alone.
For older people, staying isolated not only means that the individual suffers, but our communities miss out on everything they have to give. Bevan Torien, Spectrum’s General Manager of Aged and Disability Services, is passionate about this topic. “Older people have a lot of knowledge to share, a lifetime of their wisdom, and they play a critical role in our society for younger people.” Daniel Traini, Spectrum facilitator, agrees. Through his role with seniors, Daniel says, he’s “spent time with the wisest people I’ve ever met. They’ve known love, loss, laughter and hardship. And they’ve taught me more than they know.”
During the panel interview, a big question from our guests was – how can they take the first step towards making more connection?
Nadereh Edwards, Spectrum’s Project Coordinator for the Federation, had a timely reminder. “Remember,” she said, “that other people are feeling just like you, they are also feeling those social barriers. You might think that other people don’t want to talk, but they do! Take the first step, say hello to different people and ask about their day. You’ll be surprised who is in the same situation.”
To this, Abiola introduced the idea of an ‘emotional sponsor’ – another individual person, who feels like you. It’s less pressure to reach out to a single other person, and ask them to join you at an event or social activity. It’s much easier, explains Abiola, “when someone can take that first step with you.”
After a delicious lunch, participants got to have their say on what they think could help tackle loneliness within the community, and also what they think would be most helpful for them personally, to boost their sense of connection and wellbeing.
Some popular responses were:
- ‘Making new friends with people like me’
- ‘Joining a social group with organised activities’
- ‘Enjoying religious or cultural celebrations and events’
The power of a local community was also underlined, with many voting that ‘attending a familiar place with people I know’, like a local supermarket, centre or neighbourhood, was vital to feeling less lonely and more connected.
The good news is, boosting your sense of connection can actually improve your physical health, and help you live longer!
The statistics are powerful. For seniors, having good social connections reduce can reduce heart disease by more than 30%, and lowers dementia risk by a third.
At Spectrum, we’re proud to do our part to address loneliness in multicultural communities, and to boost the health and wellbeing of our many senior clients. Each week, we host more than twenty social support groups for multicultural seniors, with door-to-door service, meals, friendship and fun on offer – and that’s just the beginning.
Our clients are like family, and we take care of the little details – from language matching, to celebrating important cultural events, and care that’s personalised to each person, from helping them attend special occasions to helping maintain their favourite roses.
As one client says, “My Spectrum facilitators are like my own son and my daughter!”. This feeling is shared by our support workers, facilitators and Aged Care team. Speaking today, George Kassis, one of our Aged Care team’s Coordinators, shared, ‘Walking into a client’s home, is like walking into my own home. I love that we can bring different people together as a family’.
To all of our clients, friends, and community members who shared their important stories, insights, and advice today on tackling loneliness in Melbourne’s senior communities – thank you. The 2025 Federation Forum was a success, and we’re sure everyone is going home with a warmer heart and a greater appreciation for the challenges we all share. Together, we can overcome loneliness – and achieve better health for all.
With many thanks to our expert speakers and panel members:
- Dr Lidia Engel, Senior Research Fellow NHMRC Emerging Leadership (EL1) Investigator, Monash University and an Honorary Fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute Health Economics Group School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
- Professor Colleen Doyle, Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University and Edith Cowan University and Honorary Fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute, Swinburne University and Edith Cowan University and Honorary Fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute
- Abiola Akinbiyi, ECCV Board Chair
- Koula Louras, Director Complaints Operations – VicTas Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- Jo Xuereb, Assistant Director Stakeholder Engagement – Engagement, Education and Communications, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- Angela Klinkatsis, Senior Regional Officer – West VIC Regional Team VICTAS Branch Service Delivery Division | Ageing and Aged Care Group” Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
- Michael Montesano, Support at Home/ Home care, Vic/Tas State Office – Department of Health & Aged Care
