International Day for Older Persons
Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler, addressed the South Australian launch of the 2010 Every Generation Festival in Adelaide on 1 October, celebrating the contribution that older people make to their communities.
The event was held as part of International Day for Older Persons.
“Through hard work, dedication and effort over many years, older Australians have helped make Australia the nation that it is today,” Mr Butler said.
“The Australian Government values this substantial and ongoing contribution.”
Australia has an ageing population. By 2050, the number of people aged 65 to 84 years is expected to double while the number of people aged over 85 years is expected to quadruple.
This will mean that in 40 years about a quarter of the population will be aged 65 years or over, an increase of around 13%.
In Australia, governments and the non-government sector are encouraging active ageing through supporting and promoting older Australians to be active physically, mentally, active socially, and financially.
“Research shows that community perceptions can affect the quality of life and health of older people,” Mr Butler said.
“A positive view of the contributions of older people plays an important role in their continued workforce participation and voluntary efforts.”
Mr Butler said ‘Active ageing’ – a term proposed by the World Health Organization – epitomizes seizing and optimising opportunities for physical, social and mental well being throughout life.
