IN 20 years\u2019 time there will be 40,000 Australians living beyond 100 years \u2013 at the moment, there are 6,900.<\/p>\n
During a seniors forum at Leopold Sportsmans Club last week, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Ken Wyatt, along with Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson, addressed some issues facing the country\u2019s ageing population.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think back to when you were children, because I\u2019m in your age category, we used to see people pass away in their 60s and 70s, but now we are seeing that extended,\u201d Mr Wyatt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAged care used to be around 60 years old; for men, 82 is now the average for going into residential care, for women it\u2019s 84.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the end of the decade we think it will be 90.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it will be more complex health problems when they move into residential care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Wyatt said people were living longer due to advancements in medications, treatments and prosthetics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also entering an era in Australia where stem cell research is starting to become exciting because there are trials where they are already using an individual\u2019s own stem cells to repair cartledge in a knee.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately they will be able to replace organs in our body as they age.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other interesting thing is that they are looking at turning off ageing at some point \u2013 we will be able to choose a period where we want to stay that age. It sounds farfetched but scientific evidence is showing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Wyatt said if these scientific advances made treatment available for the population, it would be a challenge for every government in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also going to be a social challenge; remember the person you married when you were 20? You could live to 200 with them, so it will change the dynamic and test your commitment to love and endure a relationship for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Wyatt welcomed the opportunity to attend and address the forum in Leopold, and said it was a great way to meet local people and listen to their stories and ideas for the future of quality, worldclass aged care in Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IN 20 years\u2019 time there will be 40,000 Australians living beyond 100 years \u2013 at the moment, there are 6,900. During a seniors forum at Leopold Sportsmans Club last week, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Ken Wyatt, along with Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson, addressed some issues facing the country\u2019s ageing population. \u201cWe […]<\/p>\n