The secret to ageing well? It starts with prevention 

Australians are ageing, and the numbers are growing.  On top of this, more older people than ever are trying to remain at home and live well – maintaining their health and independence for as long as possible. But what if the key to successful ageing includes simple changes we’re still not prioritising? This research is challenging how we think about ageing – and why getting prevention right could be key.   

The old adage “prevention is better than cure”, applies to most things including, ageing. While we can’t prevent ageing, and it is indeed a privilege denied to many, preventive health strategies can ensure we “age well” – maintaining our health, independence and quality of life, even in our later years. 

Worldwide, in both high and low-income countries, populations are ageing. This is due to increased life expectancy as a result of medical and social advances and declining birth rates.  

In Australia, in the past two decades alone, the proportion of people aged 65 years and older has increased from 13.1 per cent in 2005 to 17.5 per cent in 2025. Life expectancy in Australia is currently in the top 10 worldwide, with an average life-expectancy of 83 years.  

While an ageing population is something to be celebrated, it means that many older Australians are living with multiple chronic conditions and care challenges. Unfortunately, some spend too many years in poor health and wellbeing. This has placed increasing strain and pressure on Australia’s health and aged care systems. Our ageing demographic shift requires innovative and cross-setting solutions to support our current and future generations of older people to age well. 

But prevention could be the key. A country’s success in helping older people age well depends on multiple sectors – including health, social and aged care –........

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