Kilkivan and Goomeri Focus Group Themes

Access to healthcare services and support

Healthy Ageing Behaviours

Community Connections

Inter-generational Interactions

Positive Mindset/Attitudes

Geographic Limitation

Long travel times to healthcare services

Transportation dependency

Long wait times to see healthcare professionals

Accessing Aged Care Packages

Complex logistical systems

High cost of medical devices

Limited support workers in the area

Dementia Resources

Dedicated dementia experts in the community

Personal dementia experiences

Lack of understanding about dementia: what it is, diagnosis, causes

Healthy Diets

Living in the present moment

Staying away from negativity

Growing and eating own food

Delay in personal health

Desire to age in place

Social and Community connections

Home

Sustaining community connections

Community-led initiatives

Partnerships with universities and national organisations

Connecting with the disconnected - reaching isolated community members

Educating younger generations about healthy lifestyle

Early habit formation/Still able to change

Enjoy old age/retirement

Dementia is not an "old person's" disease

Early on-set dementia

Sense of usefulness

Passing on teaching from parents

Make dementia digestible

Volunteering

"whole day thing"

"travelling takes more time than the visits"

"..it's the process. It's so degrading and depressing. It almost puts a negative effect on your health"

"...a lot of it is just natural, instinctive thing that have been taught to you as you've been growing up."

"...I've found that not actually choosing who I'm going to be mixing with but keeping away from the negative people...[positive attitudes] it's something you can't give it to others, you have to take it for yourself."

"...you've got to have the feeling that you've got a reason to get up in the morning and go do something, whether it's something in the garden, whether you're volunteering, taking people to buy a washing or whatever. It's getting you out and about and getting you up to do something."

"It's the same group that goes for all the different things, it's virtually the same group."

"... got a very strong attachment to this area...so it's important to [them] to not just be able to do what you want, but also be able to do it in the place [you want]."

"...being able to [age healthy] in your own space, where you want to do it."

"we've got to educate these young ones, that smoking and drinking to excess, and all this sort of thing, is going to, you're going to pay for it down the line, and you're not going to enjoy your retirement."