Australia’s most influential demographer and social commentator Bernard Salt talks about the “middle-age-isation” of millennials and says he doesn’t mind coining a new term. Interviewed in “Shifting populations & shifting priorities” Parts One and Two the latest drop of PULSE the Podcast, Bernard Salt goes on to say that millennials are now entering their 40s, and undergoing a lifestyle transformation. “Their needs are changing from inner-city apartment living to suburban family homes. It’s a demographic shift, along with the booming number of retirees, and the phenomenon of one million foreign students living in Australia that will be pivotal over the next decade”.
Speaking with podcast co-hosts Dr Louise Schaper and Dr George Margelis, who is also the chief technology advisor for Ageing Australia, Bernard Salt discusses the new “Age Tech” era, the strains on the aged care sector workforce, “super-ageing”, the economic and social reality of longevity, and the hidden epidemic of loneliness.
He said as baby boomers, already familiar with digital tools, enter retirement and their 80s, technology will prove vital in bridging gaps with healthcare services.
With ageing parents often living independently and far from their adult children, technology is increasingly becoming integral to modern caregiving. From emergency alert buttons worn around the neck to scheduled FaceTime calls, digital tools will bring peace of mind.
“Having technology does help provide the care – there is a great sense of worry if you’re wondering whether mum or dad is okay living by themselves. And then of course there’s also the challenge of teaching mum or dad how to receive a text, how to deliver a text, how to Facebook with their grandkids who are probably in their 20s.
“I think it was ever thus, young people need to be teaching older people, but it’s also a way of communicating, connecting with, engaging with, having fun with mum or dad in their 80s,” he said.
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