An update from Julianne Parkinson, CEO
It’s clear from the research and latest industry conversations that Australians prefer to live independently and confidently at home / in place for as long as possible.
To make this a reality, communities, organisations and governments need to understand the differing voices and choices of people as they age.
Given the number of people over 60 in Australia is expected to skyrocket to 7 million by 2031, there is a huge need, and opportunity, for organisations and governments to direct their efforts towards catering to people’s evolving needs and wants.
This was affirmed at the High Level Silver Economy Forum held in Helsinki in July from international leading experts in the field, including GCMA’s Board Director Dr John Beard. Below is an excerpt from the World Health Organisation synopsis of the High Level Forum.
Action now: Cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborative actions must be taken now.
Co-creation: Creation of products, services, and policies must be done in partnership with end users – including older people, but also their caregivers, families, and communities.
No to ageism: Changing how we all think, feel and act towards age and ageing is an imperative for harnessing the opportunities of longer lives – in the workplace, in health care, as consumers, and as valuable contributors to society – and relies upon stamping out ageist stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.
Prevention and functional ability: Health systems change must focus on preventive services and better awareness of the conditions that increase in prevalence with age, utilising integrated and person-centred care as well as remote care and digital monitoring tools, aimed at maximizing and maintaining our functional ability as we age.
Financial tools for longer lives: Pension systems and retirement saving must be re-imagined so that individuals, financial institutions, and policymakers all work toward new strategies to build financial wellness for longer lives.
Workplace change: Employers must evolve to ensure that they can more fully leverage the contributions of the many generations currently in the workplace, which demands lifelong learning – including ongoing up-skilling and re-skilling - to enable people to keep pace with changing societal needs and continuous technological innovation.
To this end, the GCMA is embarking on the primary research focus on ‘Living in the right place’ and ‘workforce engagement and transitions’.
We look forward to sharing the insights and findings with you.
- Julianne
