Falls by Greater Bendigo's over 60 population are leading to far more trips to hospital than surrounding LGAs

The Murray primary health network found that within the next decade, a quarter of residents in the region would be aged over 65.

The organisation's chief executive officer Matt Jones said the health sector needed to prepare for the aging population.

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"For the first time, Murray PHN has received more than $11 million for the next four years which will help us work towards addressing some of the complex issues faced in the sector and as mentioned by the Royal Commission," he said.

"Specifically, these funds will be used to support increased telehealth access for aged care facilities, improving coordination of out-of-hours medical care for residents and early intervention to benefit those aging at home."

Greater Bendigo recorded by far the highest number of hospitalisations for unintentional falls suffered by people aged over 60 in the 2018-19 year.

There were 759 people who needed medical attention at hospital - which was hundreds more than all other local government areas in the region's catchment area.

The report said one of the best ways for people to stay healthy as they aged was to take up volunteer work, but the number doing so had shrunk.

Bendigo Health volunteer services director Sharon Walsh said the average age of the hospital's team was about 67 years - although the hospital's oldest volunteer retired recently at 93.

"For many people, volunteering is a way to continue to contribute to their communities after retirement," she said.

"But it also gives people something to look forward to each day. They have a reason to get up and get going in the morning, they smile at people they don't know and get smiles back; they get a cognitive advantage when they have to explain things to people and they get lots of incidental exercise.

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"Our volunteers look forward to coming in and doing their work. It gives them a purpose, social connection, a sense of helping others and having colleagues and strangers say, 'thank you'. We all need a pat on the back sometimes to reassure us of our worth."

Sharon said COVID had prevented many volunteers from coming into the organisation's health services over the past two years.

"Some of them have now resigned, telling me they have lost confidence, been more anxious and depressed or have lost their mobility," she said.

"Unfortunately, these themes are replicated right across the entire Loddon Mallee region and more broadly across the volunteering sector. We are now supporting others as they try to re-engage with the health service and regain their confidence.

"Volunteering is a health matter and while volunteers are vital for organisations like Bendigo Health, the health and wellbeing benefits for our volunteers must not be underestimated."

To read the report visit the Murray PHN online.

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