Hornsby Shire Council acknowledges invaluable contribution of local award-winning Geriatrician Professor Susan Kurrle
At its General Meeting held yesterday, Hornsby Shire Council acknowledged the invaluable contribution by local resident Professor Susan Kurrle, MD PhD, who has been working alongside Council in having Hornsby Shire recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community and was recently announced as the recipient of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) 2022 Sidney Sax medal.
Professor Kurrle is Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, and a practicing geriatrician for the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD). She specialises in the areas of dementia, frailty, elder abuse, successful ageing and intergenerational care and is the expert geriatrician leading the work on the internationally award-winning ABC TV documentary series ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’.
The Sidney Sax medal is awarded annually by the AHHA to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of health services policy, organisation, delivery and research. It awards outstanding achievements in and contributions to the development and improvement of the Australian healthcare system.
Reading a Mayoral Minute, Hornsby Shire Mayor Philipp Ruddock spoke of Professor Kurrle’s impact across the Shire, which has a significant population of older people and rising rates of dementia.
“Congratulations and thank-you to Professor Kurrle who has played a key role in developing services for the older residents of Hornsby Shire.
“In her capacity as Co-Chair of the Northern Sydney Dementia Collaborative, she worked alongside Council in having Hornsby recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community. She has provided her support through presentations regarding dementia support and healthy ageing and raising dementia awareness at a range of Council events and activities.
“Most recently, she spoke at the Launch of the Hornsby Village Hub, a collaboration between Council and the Sydney North Public Health Network together with a range of community partners and supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Social Services through their ‘Seniors Connected Program’.”
AHHA Board Chair, the Hon Jillian Skinner, paid tribute to Professor Kurrle when announcing her award.
“Her work across professional groups, and in using an inter-generational and educative approach, has been of great benefit to older people, their families and the Australian health system as a whole.”
Council presents a range of resources and initiatives for people with dementia and their carers. For more information, including a video of a webinar by Professor Kurrle, visit https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/dementia.
At the meeting, Councillor Janelle McIntosh acknowledged Professor Kurrle’s contribution to the development of Council’s draft Healthy Ageing Strategy. Adopted in September, the Strategy is on public exhibition until 7 November. Produced following extensive community consultation, it is centred around four key focus areas: living in age-friendly environments; participating in inclusive communities; staying safe, active, and healthy; and being resilient and informed. Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts at yoursay.nsw.gov.au
Also at last night’s meeting Council:
- Endorsed the draft Hornsby Shire Flood Risk Management Study, including the Hornsby Shire Flood Planning Maps, for public exhibition
- Endorsed the revised Beecroft Town Centre Domain Guidelines for public exhibition.
- Adopted recommendations relating to a review of current policies under the jurisdiction of the Community and Environment Division
The full agenda of the meeting, along with details of each item discussed, can be found at hornsby.nsw.gov.au. The video recording of the meeting will be available from Thursday afternoon.
