South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well

Survey to set the direction for new plan

The South Australian Government’s vision and priorities for ageing well are outlined in South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025.

Office for Ageing Well is reviewing the impact of the Plan and is seeking the input of older people to help set the priorities for the next state ageing plan (2026-2036).

Help shape the future of Ageing Well in South Australia by participating in a survey to provide insights into how older South Australians are experiencing ageing now, compared to when the current plan began five years ago.

For a snapshot of the elements of the plan, see Plan on a Page.

The insights from older people will help ensure that future initiatives align with the needs and aspirations of South Australia’s diverse ageing population.

Responses are confidential and analysed collectively, not individually.

The survey is open until the end of October 2024.

This survey is part of a range of feedback opportunities that will be available across the state for people to speak up about what matters to them as they grow older. This will include in-depth interviews and opportunities for small group gatherings in a series of statewide conversations.

Find out more about previous Statewide Conversations.

South Australia’s current plan

South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 (PDF 2MB) outlines the State Government and community’s vision and priorities for ageing well for all South Australians over five years.

It succeeded the state ageing plan ‘Prosperity through Longevity’ that concluded in 2019 and builds on the significant work achieved under that Plan.

South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 is best read with the foundation documents Future Directions to Support Ageing Well report (PDF 10.5MB) and Vision for Ageing Well in South Australia report (PDF 1.5MB), informed by statewide engagement with older South Australians and a range of stakeholders.

The Plan recognises the aspirations, challenges and incredible diversity in the way we age; sets a forward-looking vision to challenge the status quo; and enables the contribution of many partners.

Aims

South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 aims to inspire innovation and create the environment and motivation to think outside the box, to develop new and unusual partnerships and to make a real and long-term difference to our lives as we get older.

Office for Ageing Well, through South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 and associated policies and projects, will contribute to South Australians living in communities that value older people and the opportunities of an ageing population:

  • People building resilience and resources to live well through the many stages of ageing;
  • People leading the development and implementation of diverse options for living a good life in their later years;
  • Communities self-organising to shape good living in our later years alongside older people;
  • Our systems spreading a view of ageing that is diverse, busts myths and enables planning for transitions in ageing;
  • Our systems building resilience in individuals and communities for good living in our later years.

Vision

South Australia is a healthy, connected, equitable and sustainable community, which takes a whole of life approach that fosters many years of living well, and supports us to die with dignity, in line with our wishes.

Strategic priorities

South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 has three strategic priorities:

  • Strategic priority 1 – Home and community
    Homes and communities enable flexibility and choice, and support us to live how we choose, no matter our age, needs, wants and desires.
  • Strategic priority 2 – Meaningful connections
    A future where everyone has the opportunity, support and encouragement to maintain and develop meaningful connections.
  • Strategic priority 3 – Navigating change
    A future where we all have the capabilities and supports for remaining active participants throughout all life’s transitions.

Enabling factors

To realise the three priorities for ageing well, South Australians need to work together to:

  • Tackle ageism
    South Australia must lead the way in creating an inclusive society, moving beyond ageism.
  • Grow diversity
    South Australia must foster options and choices that reflect the diversity of needs, wants, experiences and aspirations.
  • Increase accessibility
    South Australia must improve access to options, information and supports that enable ageing well.

Supporting conditions

Four supporting conditions underpin the three priorities for ageing well:

  • Outcomes driven
    Learn through action, align around outcomes, drive change from older people’s lived experiences.
  • Systems perspective
    Develop leaders who act systemically, applying an ageing lens to all policies.
  • Collaboration – the power of partnerships
    Foster conditions for collaboration, recognise the roles multiple stakeholders can play.

See the Plan on a Page (PDF 66KB) to find out more about the strategic priorities, enabling factors and supporting conditions.

For free professionally printed resources about South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025, please complete the Resources Order Form (PDF 662KB) and email to officeforageingwell@sa.gov.au.

Statewide Conversations – shaping the Plan

In 2018, more than 1,500 older people from around the state participated in the Statewide Conversations with Older South Australians to share their views about what matters most to them to age well. Key themes to emerge included ensuring that people have better options for staying in their homes and communities as they age; the importance of making and maintaining meaningful social connections; and navigating change. From this work, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) produced the Future Directions to Support Ageing Well report (PDF 10.5MB).

The report findings formed the foundation of the 2019 Statewide Conversations with Stakeholders which engaged with 30 South Australian thought leaders and more than 130 representatives of government and non-government partners, community organisations and older people. To test the vision and progress the work, a Stakeholder Response Kit and Public Survey were distributed. Thirty-two response kits were returned, and 439 survey responses received. From this, TACSI produced the Vision for Ageing Well report (PDF 1.5MB) which identifies home, meaningful connections and navigating change as strategic priorities, with tackling ageism, growing diversity and increasing accessibility as enabling factors.

Statistics

South Australia has the highest proportion of older people on mainland Australia with more than 630,500 people aged over 50, which is 37 per cent of the total population.

The majority of over-65s (95 per cent) live independently at home, with only one in four people aged 85 and over, living in aged care accommodation.