Costa geriatrica coming soon to a suburb near you

Even in our own society, family support is crucial in the case of the oldest old whose physical and health needs are greater. Australia and New Zealand are also ageing rapidly. In Australia within 35 years there will be at least 6.5 million people aged over 65, including 1 million over 85. New Zealand, which is ageing at a slightly slower rate, will still have more than 1.2 million aged over 65, or 22 per cent of the total population within 30 years.

While there are marked differences between regions, both Australia and New Zealand will have their distinctive “costa geriatrica” where suburbs emerge where the old vastly out number all other groups. One already sees this in parts of Australia such as Queenscliffe in Victoria and Victor Harbour in South Australia, where people aged over 65 already comprise a third of the total population.

Families are also changing. Falling fertility and longer life are rapidly restructuring our family’s composition. Now we are seeing many more multi-generational families, what have come to be called “beanpole families” where great grandparents, grandparents, parents, grandchildren and great grandchildren intermingle. Absent are the many siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces of yesteryear.

It is not only families that will change but also our shopping areas. In this new demographic world it will be the old who command the most disposable resources and our High Streets will have to recognise this and change to accommodate the grey market rather than just cater for the young.

The increasing female share of our older population is also notable. In most countries older women greatly outnumber older men. In Australia, for example, there will be almost 170 females for every 100 males aged over 80 by 2050. The implications of this are profound as older women are more likely to be widowed, have less work experience and less access to resources.

Should we be concerned about the advent of a middle-aged or geriatric world? Is there any substance in recent claims that ageing populations constitute a greater threat than climate change?

Well, global ageing offers both challenges and opportunities. It is a rich resource for present and future generations and it need not necessarily be associated with retirement from work, increasing dependency, financial struggle, ill-health and social and spatial exclusion. Rather we need to see the pluses in ageing and need to embrace things like older work forces and flexible working arrangements, and create an environment which values age, experience, knowledge, wisdom, reliability and creativity.

That said, we do need to examine the adequacy of our housing, workplaces, transport and social services for the support of the old and ensure that the principles of fairness, justice and equity apply to all regardless of age.