Chip Conley is the founder of the Modern Elder Academy. It’s a response to the social movement of older people defying stultifying convention and making the most of their and others’ lives. The academy, which has now come to Australia as MEAx, is dedicated not only to inspiring and empowering people in midlife and beyond, but also to disrupting society’s outdated attitudes towards aging. ... read more>

Ageism doesn’t just apply to older Australians, according to a new report which urges us all to do something about it. The weighty Human Rights Commission’s survey called What’s Age Got To Do With It calls for a historic change in attitudes. It brands ageism as the least understood and most pervasive of all the ‘-isms’ and is a problem that affects all ages. The HRC’s research says out... read more>

The wicked energy of the COVID-19 virus has exploited many fault lines in society, not least our widespread denial about Death and dying. It's exhibited in many ways, not least when politicians abuse the word tragedy, and even journalists regularly crank out tired euphemisms such as passed away. So when I read a surgeon's newspaper opinion piece entitled 'Let's accept death as a part of l... read more>

It’s a fair question; are you a modern elder? I ask as for too long those two words, modern and elder, may have seemed a contradiction in terms. But no longer. There’s been a social change bubbling beneath the surface in Australia as older people, such as  FiftyUps, refuse to be pigeonholed in the past. Now a more formal movement has come to our shores, and guess what? You can join in so ... read more>

The COVID fallout continues, and another effect has been to lift the age at which older Australians, especially men, are expected to retire. The reasons given are that more senior workers are retained for longer because of less migration and a buoyant labour market. Has COVID changed your retirement plans? It could be either for positive reasons, like more choice and enjoying work, or mor... read more>