Research
National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre
The National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre (NSPAC) was established by National Seniors Australia and the Department of Health and Ageing. NSPAC is focused on developing and disseminating quality research informed by the lived experience of people aged 50 years and over. Visit the Productive Ageing Centre’s website to download free research reports, find out more about older adults in your local area, and get involved in new research projects.
Ageing and the Barriers to Mature Age Labour Force Participation in Australia
National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre is pleased to announce the release of its report Ageing and the Barriers to Labour Force Participation in Australia that was prepared for the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation. Published by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the report identifies fourteen barriers preventing older Australians remaining in or re-entering the workforce, including age discrimination, physical illness, injury and disability.
The final report and recommendations of the Forum will be handed to Government in mid-2012 and will draw on the findings of the first national survey examining the barriers faced by older Australians wanting to work, currently being undertaken by the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre.
Click here to read the report.
Stereotype Threat and Mature Age Workers
Stereotype Threat and Mature Age Workers investigated whether Australian mature age workers experienced stereotype threat, and whether the experience of stereotype threat was associated with more negative workplace attitudes and behaviours. The research revealed two disturbing findings about mature age workers who do experience stereotype threat regarding their age – they have more negative job attitudes, and these are associated with intentions to quit or retire.This suggests that the experience of stereotype threat at work can counteract efforts made to keep older adults in the workplace for longer. However, the research showed that while stereotype threat can hinder the success of Australia’s ageing workforce, not all mature age employees are equally vulnerable. Nonetheless, organisations need to understand and combat stereotype threat if they want to keep their mature age talent and help them reach their potential, and to ensure they themselves are not inadvertently reinforcing negative stereotypes.
Click here to read the report.
Are Older Australians Being Short Changed?
With the price of essentials increasing rapidly over the past few years, many Australian households have faced increased cost of living pressures. These pressures are more pronounced in the case of older Australians as a result of their typically below-average, fixed incomes, and their generally lower levels of discretionary spending.
This report focuses on the impact of changes in prices on the out of pocket living costs for specific types of older households, including age pensioner households and self-funded retiree households. It is clear that the purchasing power of many Australian households has reduced over the last five years.
Click here to read more about the report.
A Carrot and A Big Stick: Understanding Private Health Insurance & Older Australians
A Carrot and A Big Stick: Understanding Private Health Insurance & Older Australians uses data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Private Health Insurance Administration Council to describe the patterns of health insurance purchase amongst older Australians in a recent period of considerable policy change and sets out to answer the following questions:
- What proportion and number of Australians aged over 50 are covered by private health insurance and how has this changed over a period of significant reform (1997 to 2011)?
- What are the reasons that older Australians give for purchasing or not purchasing private health insurance?
- What are the characteristics of older Australians with and without cover, and are there differences in the type of coverage?
The findings show that, despite the proportion of over 50s covered by private health insurance rising from 40% in 1998 to about 52% today, nearly two-thirds of those without insurance said they could simply not afford it.
Affordability is the key reason people of any age do not purchase health insurance.
Click here to read more about the report.
Older reports
- Older Australians and the Internet: Bridging the Digital Divide - Click here to download.
- The Ageing Experience of Australians from Migrant Backgrounds - Click here to download.
- Older volunteers in botanic gardens - Click here to download.
- The Elephant in the Room - Click here to download.
- The Future of Aged Care in Australia - Click here to download.
- Healthy Ageing Quiz - Click here to take the quiz.