Thursday Three - 02 Jul 2026

• New Award Honours AAG founding member and Inaugural AAG Centenarian

• National Science Week is just two months away!

• Primary Prevention of Elder Abuse Framework released

New Award Honours AAG founding member
and Inaugural AAG Centenarian

In conjunction with the Australasian Journal on Ageing (AJA), we are delighted to announce the establishment of a prestigious new award to honour the legacy of founding AAG member and Life Member, Ruth Inall OAM.

The Ruth Inall Award for Cross Cultural Collaboration will be offered annually for articles published in the AJA that demonstrate, stimulate, or support international collaboration and knowledge exchange, including within the Asia Oceania Region.

The award recognises the outstanding contribution made by Ruth, who served as Executive Secretary of International Association of Gerontology and geriatrics Asia Oceania Region (IAGG-AOR) for four decades. Ruth was instrumental in the development of IAGG’s Asia Oceania Regional committee in the late 70s and early 1980s, working closely with her Japanese counterpart, the late Professor Hajimi Orimo.

Read more about Ruth and the new award.

Pictured: Left - Dr Richard (Dick) Maxwell Gibson with Ruth Inall, circa. 1960s; Right – Ruth Inall OAM at her 100th birthday celebration in 2025.

National Science Week is just two months away!

An Australian Government initiative, National Science Week is one of the world’s oldest and largest science festivals and now is the perfect time to get involved. Last year, over 3 million people participated in 2,500+ events across Australia exploring, celebrating and investigating how science intersects with their lives. This year, Science Week runs from 15 – 23 August.

If you have knowledge, stories or skills to share that relate to science, there is a place for you in the festival. Anyone, from local Landcare groups to community health organisations to research institutions, can hold an event for National Science Week, as long as it:

• relates to STEM in some way
• is held during August; and
• is accessible to at least some Australians.

Hosting an event is a powerful way to:

• raise your organisation’s profile with new audiences
• build connections with your community and industry
• support your staff to develop science communication skills

• contribute to a nationally recognised and much-loved celebration.

Find out more and register your event on the National Science Week website.

If running a public event isn’t feasible this year, you can still get involved with an event just for your own team, and/or your friends and family. Resources have been created to make it easy. You could:

• hold a Brain Break morning tea with science trivia suitable for children and adults. You might want to add in a cool DIY Science demonstration
• hold a SCINEMA film screening of award-winning science films
• hold a private pub trivia night for your team as a social activity (perhaps at after-work drinks?)

Got questions? Reach out to [email protected] for more info.

Primary Prevention of Elder Abuse Framework released

The Victorian Government is pleased to announce the state’s first dedicated primary prevention framework for elder abuse. Respecting and valuing older people: Victoria’s Primary Prevention of Elder Abuse Framework is a resource for professionals working to prevent elder abuse from happening in the first place.

The framework is released in 2 parts (Handbook and Companion guide), with the handbook recently launched last month on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2026. The handbook forms part of the Victorian Government’s prevention of elder abuse commitments in Until every Victorian is safe: Third rolling action plan to end family and sexual violence 2025-27 and supports professionals to plan action that addresses elder abuse at its root, informed by emerging and available evidence.

Preventing elder abuse is everyone’s responsibility. Together, we can change the culture and systems that enable elder abuse to happen in the first place.