Staying socially connected with your community is really important for healthy ageing and maintaining your wellbeing. As you get older, you can experience social isolation for many reasons, such as losing your spouse, relocating your home, developing medical conditions or requiring more care than you did previously.
There are many programs, services and resources you can access to help you connect with people who have similar interests or hobbies to you, provide transport services to and from places, and offer more formal support including legal services and aged care.
There are so many different activities you can participate in across the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region, from fishing to lawn bowls and to university courses. You can greatly enhance your wellbeing by finding activities you can really enjoy and participate in to make new social connections with people in your community.
There are many services that specialise in supporting people who are socially or geographically isolated, grieving or lonely. You can download this tip sheet developed by Relationships Australia to help you manage feelings of loneliness.
Activity programs
Walking groups in Brisbane and Moreton Bay
Healthy and Active Moreton
Active and Healthy Events Brisbane
50 Plus Centre
Fish and Forget events
Bowls Clubs
Probus Groups
Social support and connection groups
Senior Social Connection Program
Support groups for older women
Search for a Men’s Shed
War widows' social groups
RSL Queensland
Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA)
Leagues Clubs
Other ways to be involved in your local community
Rotary Clubs
Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS)
Volunteer opportunities
Community Action for a Multicultural Society
Online programs
Queensland Seniors Facebook page
Brisbane Seniors OnLine Facebook page
Connected AU
Virtual Programs for Seniors
University of the Third Age (U3A) is a worldwide self-help organisation promoting learning for personal enjoyment and wellbeing. U3A provides classes on a variety of topics to help older people keep their brains active, maintain their independence and make new friends.
Membership costs $40 per year.
U3A Online is a virtual U3A group operating solely online.
Find more information about where you can find your local U3A here.
Community centres provide a variety of services to support social connection and independent living, such as life skills classes, financial assistance, shopping services and social activities. Some of the centres provide transport services, so contact your local centre to find out how they can help you get there.
You can attend a day respite centre to connect with friends and the community through meaningful activities. The respite centre will look after your care needs so your carer can take a break while you enjoy relationships and activities separate from your carer.
If you’re socially isolated, dealing with complex legal matters around property relocation or the loss of a spouse can be difficult and costly. There are many organisations providing legal services to older people at low or no cost, so everyone has access to effective legal support regardless of their circumstances.
Find more information about legal support and elder abuse here.
Social connection is so important for healthy ageing, but it can be hard to stay connected with the community if you don’t have a convenient way to get around. You may not want to lose the independence of driving yourself, but there are many community services providing safe transportation to ensure you can get wherever you need to go—from shops to social events and activities.
It’s normal for people to reach an age or level of ability where they can no longer safely drive themselves. If you can no longer drive yourself, there are plenty of alternative options for getting around so you can stay safe and not worry about driving and parking.
Find more information about driver's licences and alternative transport options here.
There are many benefits in moving to and living in an aged care facility. There are many facilities that offer a variety of services tailored to your individual needs. They can provide you with many social opportunities, with access to fun activities and group outings where you can spend quality time with people who have similar interests.
The journey into aged care can be complicated, so these resources can help you figure out what support the government will provide, what costs are involved and how to find the right aged care facility for your needs.
Social connection
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land, waterways and culture. We pay our respect to all Australian Indigenous Peoples and their cultures, and to Elders of past, present and future generations.
We would like to express our gratitude to all the healthy ageing advocates, including people living with dementia, older people, families, carers and health professionals, who contributed to the development of this portal. Thank you for sharing your stories and transferring your knowledge to make this portal purposeful and meaningful to support people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region.