Most older Australians want to live in a home they own, preferably in the middle and outer suburbs of a city. But increasing numbers look unlikely to realise their housing aspirations.
As people stay in the workforce longer and change jobs more often, it’s increasingly likely there will be times an older colleague might benefit from mentoring.
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Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation e Andrew Donegan, The Conversation
The aged care royal commission begins hearing evidence today about the quality of care in nursing homes. These 10 charts show how the current system works and the challenges it faces.
If Labor is relying on a surge of younger voters to deliver it victory then its hopes may be misplaced.
AAP/Craig Golding
Two trends in Australia, an ageing population and warming climate, are increasing the threat that heatwaves pose to our health. Increasing vegetation cover is one way every city can reduce the risk.
As the dream of home ownership eludes more and more older Australians, this has big implications for retirement, pensions and government spending on rental assistance.
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Until now most people have eventually owned a home. But two trends – falling ownership and a growing aged population – will put the budgets of retirees and government under real pressure.
For decades, doctors have been prescribing low-dose aspirin for healthy people over the age of 70.
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Taking low-dose aspirin daily doesn’t delay the onset of disability in healthy older people. Nor does it prevent heart attack or stroke in those who hadn’t experienced either condition before.
An ageing population doesn’t have to be an economic burden.
Cutting immigration to Australia will impact the country’s demographic composition, with consequences for the working age population and income tax base.
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Politicians across the spectrum have at some point targeted immigration as a contributor to out-of-control population growth. But would reducing, or banning, immigration take pressure off cities?
Japan has a big ageing population, and others are looking to it for answers in how to provide better care for the elderly.
Mandatory retirement ages are still in place for the Australian judiciary. But this practice may be out of step with contemporary workforce needs.
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Mandatory retirement ages are mostly a thing of the past in Australia. Removing the last vestiges of this practice is one way to address the problem of Australia’s ageing workforce.
When an ageing person is forced to move out of their family home, that can trigger a host of problems that policy is doing little to prevent.
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Millions of older Australians live in houses that don’t safely meet their needs, but they’re not ready for a nursing home. Lack of suitable housing and the moving costs leave them with nowhere to go.
Tasmania’s ageing population matters because as people get older they become more reliant on the services provided by governments (for example pensions, health and aged care).
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Population growth for growth’s sake (as a proxy for economic growth), without consideration for the demands this creates might actually compromise Tasmania’s economy.
In Nagoro, in Tokushima Prefecture, one resident has made around 300 dolls to replace villagers who are no longer around.
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Across Japan, towns and villages are vanishing as the population ages and young people move to the cities. How the country manages this holds lessons for other developed nations facing a similar fate.
Census figures show remote Indigenous communities are falling behind.
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Living and dying alone presents many challenges for cities, and we’ll need more than technology to meet these. Only an inclusive, innovative response can deliver the essential element of human care.
Staying physically active can play a big part in ageing well – and a well-designed neighbourhood helps with that.
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Smart city thinking makes good use of rapidly developing technology to help make cities work better, easier-to-navigate, safer, healthier and more enjoyable places to live.
Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Unit Head, Twins Research Australia and MyBRISK Centre of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer Risk; Melbourne School of Population & Global Health, The University of Melbourne