At the traditional Australian retirement age
This shift, alongside advances in digital technology, was the starting point for our report, which seeks to start a national conversation about ageing, work and participation. By 2031, it’s projected around one in five Australians will be 65 years old or over. We must leverage the capacity and energy of older Australians, but how?
Over the course of 38 interviews with industry stakeholders, it became clear that digital technologies such as internet-connected devices and online communication tools could have an enabling effect.
But the research also highlights obstacles. People who are 65 years or older currently have the lowest level of engagement with the internet. As face-to-face consultation is swapped for cost-effective online health services, older people could become isolated. And while new jobs in the so-called “sharing economy”, like driving for Uber, offer flexible sources of income for retirees, they’re also more precarious than traditional employment.
