Quick questions on The impact of an ageing population on Australia's health: HSC Health and Movement Science Focus Area 1

The World Health Organization frames healthy ageing as developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age - staying physically, mentally and socially well and independent for as long as possible, rather than merely the absence of disease. The strategic target is the compression of morbidity: pushing the years of ill health into a shorter window near the end of life. Individual levers include regular physical activity (especially resistance and balance training to preserve muscle, bone and reduce falls), a protein-, calcium- and vitamin-D-adequate diet, social connection, vaccination and screening, and early management of chronic conditions.

Older Australians contribute through paid work (workforce participation past 65 is rising), volunteering, mentoring and unpaid caring (grandparent childcare alone has large economic value). A longer healthy lifespan is a 'longevity dividend' of extra active years, and an older market grows the health, leisure and care economy (the 'silver economy').

Rising demand and cost (older people carry more chronic disease, hospital use and pharmaceutical use); aged-care and health workforce shortages; a falling worker-to-retiree ratio straining the tax base; and higher rates of dementia, multimorbidity and social isolation. These reduce wellbeing and load the system at the same time.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (final report, 2021) drove major reform: a new Aged Care Act centred on the rights of older people, the Support at Home program replacing Home Care Packages from 2025, and mandated 'care minutes' to lift staffing. The policy direction favours ageing in place (home and community care over residential care, which most older people prefer and which keeps them out of expensive hospital settings) and prevention (the National Preventive Health Strategy, immunisation and screening for older adults) to compress morbidity and restrain future demand.

NGOs fill gaps funding alone cannot: the Council on the Ageing (COTA) advocates for older Australians, Dementia Australia provides support and education, and community programs such as Meals on Wheels and Men's Sheds tackle nutrition and social isolation directly - addressing the sociocultural determinant of connection.

'Lots of people are getting older' earns little. Quote about 17% aged 65+ in 2023 rising to about 21-23% by ~2066 (ABS/AIHW), with the year.

Pair every challenge with an opportunity. Examiners reward the student who notes the silver economy and the longevity dividend, not just the cost burden.

Replace 'the population is ageing' with 'about 17% of Australians were aged 65+ in 2023, rising toward about 21-23% by ~2066 (ABS/AIHW)', and replace 'the government acts' with 'the Royal Commission (2021) led to the Aged Care Act and Support at Home'.

Define an 'ageing population' and identify two demographic measures used to describe it. [3 marks]

A dataset shows the share of Australians aged 65+ rising from about 13% (2003) to about 22% (2063). Describe the trend and explain two challenges it presents for the health-care system. [5 marks]

Analyse how government and non-government organisations can respond to the challenges of Australia's ageing population, with reference to specific strategies, named bodies and current data. [7 marks]