Australia’s ‘oldest old’ studied
The diversity of Australia’s oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over), is the focus of three University of Canberra research projects awarded new funding recently. The University of Canberra received three prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grants, totalling $767,888.
The diversity of Australia’s oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over), is the focus of three University of Canberra research projects awarded new funding recently.
The University of Canberra received three prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grants, totalling $767,888.
The University’s National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling research director, Professor Laurie Brown and colleagues received $192,888 to investigate the real composition of Australia’s ‘Fourth Age’.
Professor Brown’s team aims to uncover changes over the past 30 years in the health, socio-economic and cultural make-up and experience of the oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) to help inform public policy and improve discussions on what the Fourth Age really means in Australia.
According to Professor Brown, this group is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needed attention.
“Australia’s oldest citizens are often stereotyped as being frail and dependent, a burden on the community and on the economy as their care needs grow,” Professor Brown says.
While those in the Fourth Age may be the fastest growing segment of our population, Professor Brown claims this image is far from the truth.
“More than seven of every 100 seniors aged 85 years and over still live in private dwellings in the community, the vast majority living in their own homes,” she says.
