Living a good life longer (nearly a decade longer) is something to celebrate, with the majority ageing at home within their community. But statistically living longer can mean increasing disability with over a third of people experiencing mild or moderate disability as they age. Although only one percent of Australians aged 65-74 live in cared accommodation such as nursing homes, the percentage increases to nearly a quarter (24 percent) once they reach 85 years old. Nearly half of Australians in permanent residential aged care have depression, compared to 10-15 percent of older Australians living in the community.

This creates a growing market opportunity for design to make a difference, as by 2056 people over the age of 65 will comprise just under one quarter of the Australian population. The market is already significant with the number of Australians aged 65 and over already larger than the population of the ACT and closing in on the population of Tasmania. Of course, collaborative and functional design by itself cannot resolve these problems, nor is it expected to.

But it’s crucial that businesses and organisations involved in providing products and services for older Australians collaborate with each other and especially with older Australians, to ensure that the foundations to life quality are prioritised no matter what the dwelling. Further, people now reaching the eligibility age for the age pension are significantly wealthier in real terms, on average than those aged 75 years and over. This finding was supported by the national Livable bathroom survey.

Caroma - LiveWell

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