Living Longer, Living Better

What’s the secret to ageing well?

It’s a combination of a healthy lifestyle, independence, social engagement, financial security and access to health services, according to a wide-ranging report designed to better understand FiftyUps.

The Council on the Ageing NSW Consumer Survey 2013, released last month, asked 1804 people aged over 50 living in NSW for their views on health and wellbeing issues, from housing to age discrimination and medical care.

The 50+ Report found a strong correlation between health and wellbeing and financial security: 2 in 5 respondents received a government pension, and those receiving pension payments tended to rate their wellbeing lower than those receiving other sources of income. Women reported greater financial pressure than men.

Women also fared worse than men in home ownership rates. Overall, almost three-quarters of respondents fully owned their own home, a rate that dropped among the over-80s as people moved into retirement villages.

1 in 5 respondents reported experiencing age discrimination – more than half of these incidents occurring at work.

More than 80% of those surveyed rated their own sense of health and wellbeing as “excellent”, “very good” or “good”, only dropping slightly in the over-80s age group.

The survey also identified the top three factors that could improve access to GPs: co-located services, better access to community transport and more coordinated public transport.

Palliative care emerged as a key concern, with 3 in 4 respondents envisaging circumstances where they would contemplate being helped to die.

“If a single message can be distilled from our survey, it’s that older people are active, engaged citizens who want to continue to exercise control over all aspects of their lives,” the report states.

What are your experiences when it comes to wellbeing and financial circumstances? Are the two linked?

Click here to share them with other members and read their experiences in the FiftyUp Club Forum.