Positive ageing conversation challenges ageist ideas
Australians overwhelmingly believe we can learn from the experiences of older people but only about one third agree we put that respect into practice.
That’s the finding of a recent national survey of more than 2000 Australians aged 24-75+ conducted by leading not-for-profit aged care provider Bolton Clarke.
The results, released for Ageism Awareness Day, show younger people are most optimistic about attitudes to ageing, with more than half saying older people are respected compared with only one quarter of over-65s.
The survey is part of the organisation’s work to change the conversation about ageing.
“We know positive ageing looks different for different people,” Bolton Clarke Head of Research Judy Lowthian said.
“But prevailing attitudes often label older people with negative stereotypes and dismiss active, engaged seniors as an unrepresentative anomaly to be ignored – and research suggests this can have a negative impact on inclusion and on people’s confidence, health and wellbeing.
“Australians are living longer in better health, but that’s not feeding into action to listen to older people and recognise their ongoing contribution.
“The good news is that this most recent survey shows people are thinking about what it takes to age well, with respondents across all age groups prioritising physical fitness and relationships, compared with a greater focus on financial security in 2023.”
Asked what they most looked forward to about later life, respondents put having to work or having more choice about work at the top of the list, followed by time to focus on health.
For all age groups the greatest fear about growing older was losing physical health. Loss of mental health was the second top response for younger people, while losing independence became a concern for older age groups.
With numbers of over-65s projected to make up about one quarter of the population by 2066, most respondents did not believe the nation is prepared to support population ageing, with more funding for home care a top priority.
Key survey results
Attitudes to older people
- 91% agreed society can learn from the experiences of older people BUT only around one third thought Australians respect older people in practice.
- Those aged 25-45 were most optimistic about attitudes to older people, with more than half saying older Australians are respected compared with only one quarter of over-65s.
Attitudes to ageing
- Across all age groups, the greatest fear about ageing was losing physical health. The second top response for over-65s was losing independence while for those aged 24-44 it was losing mental or cognitive health.
- Respondents aged 25-74 were most likely to look forward to not having to work or having greater choice around work in older age, with having more time to focus on health the top response for over-75s.
- Almost 70 per cent of Australians said Australia is not well-equipped to support an ageing population. When asked what could be done better, greater investment in home care was the overall highest ranked response.
Positive ageing
- Physical fitness was the top ranked ingredient for positive ageing, with relationships the next highest priority. Those aged 25-34 were most likely to rank relationships highest, while financial security was among top responses for over-55s.
Patterns of work
- Nearly two thirds of all respondents planned to keep working past retirement age – including part-time, casual or in their own business.
- Just under one in 10 (8%) did not plan to retire at all.
