Older Western Australians are resilient, happy with their lives and generally optimistic about their future – but still face significant age discrimination, according to a new report commissioned by non-profit aged care provider, Juniper.
The Voice of Older Western Australians report, conducted by independent market research
consultancy, CoreData WA, reveals an optimistic cohort of 70+ year olds who are concerned about the welfare of others, engaged with family, friends and community, want to explore the world and improve their mental and physical health.
However, their optimism is partially offset by anxiety about the welfare of future generations, the prevalence of violence around the globe – and on TV and computer screens – and the fear of losing their independence.
Two thirds of older Western Australians have also experienced some form of age-based discrimination.
The Voice of Older Western Australians report, commissioned to coincide with Juniper’s 75th anniversary, explores how older Western Australians encounter ageism, their hopes for the future and what it means to live well.
Juniper CEO, Russell Bricknell said the report gives voice to a demographic that often goes
unheard and unrecognised.
“This research is really important because it gives us an insight into older Western Australians’ hopes for the future and what happiness means to them as they get older,” Mr
Bricknell said.
“In many ways the report demonstrates the optimism, resilience and adaptability of older
Western Australians. But it also reveals the need for targeted work to combat ageism and
address the issues that limit the capacity of older people to improve their mental and
physical health.”
The outcome of the report is the 2024 Happiness of Older Western Australians Index, an attempt to measure what older people say brings them meaning and hope.
Overall, older Western Australians scored a 67.9/100 rating on Juniper’s 2024 Happiness of
Older Western Australians Index, in the ‘moderate’ range.
The happiest Western Australians are men living with a partner with almost half saying they
are extremely happy. However, only one in three women living with a partner say they are
extremely happy.
Women are happier than men with their friendships and connection to community, but men are happier than women with their personal safety and sense of purpose, the report states.
When asked what is essential to their happiness, older Western Australians rate spending
time with their family as the highest priority (71%), followed by socialising with friends
(59%), exercise (57%), participating in meaningful hobbies and activities (56%) and caring for family members (50%).
However, many older West Australians are not seeing their family as much as they’d like to – particularly those aged 80 and above.
While family is a source of happiness, it can also be a source of stress and, when expectations are felt to be unrealistic, strained relationships can lead to older people feeling
less valued and abandoned. Some older Western Australians interviewed spoke about their
children’s unrealistic expectations of them as unpaid carers and failure to recognise that
they needed to slow down as they got older.
When asked to rate how happy they are about various aspects of their lives, more than half
(56%) of older Western Australians say they are extremely happy with their mental health
but only one in four (24%) with their physical health.
More than half are also optimistic about their future, saying they want to travel and take
holidays (62%), exercise (59%), give back to the community (45%) and learn new skills and hobbies (28%).
Pain, ill-health and loss of mobility are the biggest barriers to participating in activities that contribute to happiness and that jumps significantly for those in their 80s.
Ageism also elicits a range of negative emotions, but some forms have worse ramifications.
Of the older Western Australians who were interviewed, 18% reported not being taken seriously by health care professionals while 11% said they had been treated poorly or made to “feel foolish” by a customer service worker.
One 86-year-old recalled doctors in hospital talking to her children instead of her.
“They tend to think because you are older you can’t hear what they’re saying, you can’t understand it, or you won’t remember,” she said.
While older Western Australians describe their generation as knowledgeable, resilient,
respected by others, wise and optimistic they believe the community thinks of them as
invisible, complainers and boring.
Mr Bricknell said the Voice of Older Western Australians report showed that as people age,
they experience loss – of loved ones, health and connection – and that happiness depends
on connection to family and community.
“As a wider society we need to have a conversation about how we enable our elders’ health, wellbeing and connection to loved ones,” he added.
“This research gives us a powerful, evidence-based incentive to make a collective change for the better and Juniper is proud to declare itself an ally.
“We will challenge an ageist status quo by incorporating the wisdom of older Western
Australians and supporting their health and wellbeing in everything we do.”
The Voice of Older Western Australians report will be launched today alongside a free photographic exhibition at Perth Town Hall – Wise: The voice of older Western Australians.
Featuring the work of one of Australia’s foremost portrait photographers, Steve Wise, the
exhibition turns the spotlight on older Western Australians and the amazing lives they are leading by exploring their stories, views, and hopes for the future.
The exhibition celebrates Juniper’s incredible milestone and the privilege the organisation has been afforded to support older Western Australians for the past 75 years.
Read the full report click here.
