Keynote Address
By Ms Anne HollondsDirector, Australian Institute of
Family Studies
Discovering what
works for families
Challenges and
Opportunities of
Family Policy in
an Ageing Society
Asian Families Conference
29 November 2017
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements to Dr Diana Warren and
Dr Pilar Rioseco Lopez from AIFS for their assistance,
including new analysis of data for this presentation.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and may not
reflect the views of the Australian Institute of Family Studies or the
Australian Government.
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
World Health Organisation
2002
“The time to act is now”
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Demographic overview
3244
3143
34 33 38
22 2733
21
6352
6252
59 60 57
6865
59
63
5 4 8 6 7 7 6 11 8 716
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age composition of population, 2000
0-14 15-59 60+
19 24 20 23 20 20 2014 17 20 18
57
6458
6359 59 60
5156
5754
2412
2213
21 22 2035
27 24 28
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Age composition of population, 2050
0-14 15-59 60+
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
The ageing population: a
challenge or opportunity?
• Proportion of Australians
aged 65 and over:
currently 13% and
expected 25% by 2056
• Population is ageing faster
in Asia
• Everywhere the number of
“working age” people is
shrinking in comparison
• “How will we pay for all
these elderly people”?
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Perspectives on Family Policy
and Ageing
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The Australian Retirement
Income System
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The Australian Retirement
Income System
Policy reform aims to:
• Increase mature age
labour force participation
• Provide higher levels of
savings and a better
standard of living in
retirement
• Reduce reliance on the
Age Pension as the main
source of retirement
income
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Gender gap in
retirement savings
Three main causes of the gender gap in superannuation savings:
1. The gender–wage gap: On average, men earn more than women.
In 2015, the full-time gender pay gap was 18%.
2. Time out of paid employment: Women are more likely to take
time out of paid employment to care for children or other family
members.
3. Differences in working hours: Women are also more likely to
work part-time because of caring responsibilities.
These factors combine to increase the gender difference in
superannuation savings over time, due to the compounding effect of
accumulating returns on superannuation.
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Exp
ect
ed
Su
pe
ran
nu
atio
n B
alan
ce (
$)
Age
Man: Continuous full-time employment
Woman: Continuousfull-time employment
Woman: 5 year careerbreak, then full-time
Woman: 1 year careerbreak, then part-time
Woman: 5 year careerbreak, then part-time
Woman: 1 year careerbreak, then full-time
$425K
The superannuation
gender gap
$751K
$611K
$326K
$584K
$487K
$384K
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Trends in mature age labour
force participation
Mature age labour force participation currently highest on record:
more women participating and fewer men leaving the workforce
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Reasons why
• Those approaching retirement are healthier and better
educated
• Higher expectations about living standards
• Superannuation as incentive to delay retirement
• Increased demand for older workers
• Fewer children/more access to childcare and maternity
leave: women staying in workforce
• Pressure from inadequate retirement savings (after the
Global Financial Crisis)
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How to maintain good health
at older ages?
1. Physical activity 2. Social engagement
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Physical activity and health
• Adults who are physically active have lower rates of all-cause
mortality, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2
diabetes, metabolic syndrome, colon and breast cancer, and
depression
• Physical inactivity makes the second largest contribution to the cancer
burden in Australia (behind tobacco smoking)
• The total annual economic cost of physical inactivity in Australia has
been estimated at $13.8 billion
However:
• Only one-third of children, and 1 in 10 young people meet the physical
activity recommendation for their age group
• 60% of adults did less than the recommended 30 minutes of moderate
intensity physical activity per day. (Aust Health Survey 2012)
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Adults who engage in regular physical
activity are more likely to be in good
health
17%
3% 2%
27%
19%9%
33%
35%
31%
17%
36%
42%
6% 8%16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Not at all 1-2 times a week or less 3 times a week or more
Self-assessed health by level of physical activity adults aged 50-54
Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
Source: Self-completed questionnaire HILDA Wave 1, adults aged 50-54, weighted.
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Adults physically active at younger ages
more likely to be physically active later in
life
Source: Self-completed questionnaire HILDA Waves 1 and 15, weighted.
36%
11% 6%
38%
50%
37%
26%39%
57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Not at all 1-2 times a week orless
3 times a week ormore
Physical activity at age 30-34
Physical activity at age 45-49 by level of physical activity at age 30-34
15 years later "3 times aweek or more"
15 years later "1-2 times aweek or less"
15 years later "Not at all"48%
17%8%
33%
48%
30%
18%
36%
62%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Not at all 1-2 times a week orless
3 times a week ormore
Physical activity at age 50-54
Physical activity at age 65-69 by level of physical activity at age 50-54
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Social engagement and health
• Strong social networks are
associated with survival in older
Australians
• The effect of social relationships
on survival is stronger than the
negative effects of drinking
alcohol excessively and the lack
of physical activity
• Older adults are at higher risk of
social isolation than other
groups. Around 20% of older
Australians are socially isolated
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Females engage in social activities
more regularly than males
55%64% 63% 66% 68% 74%
33%28% 27%
27% 25% 20%
12% 9% 10% 6% 7% 6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75+
Females
47% 49%58%
51%60%
47%
36% 33%
34%37%
30%
36%
18% 18%8% 12% 10%
17%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75+
Males
Once/twiceevery 3months orless
1 to 3 times amonth
Once a weekor more
Frequency of social activities with family and friends who do not live with you, by age
Source: Self-completed questionnaire HILDA Wave 1, adults aged 50 or over, weighted.
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Adults who have been socially active in
the past, are more likely to continue
regular social activities later in life
Source: Self-completed questionnaire HILDA Waves 1 and 15, weighted.
51%
32%17%
38%
45%
48%
11%22%
35%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Once a week ormore
2-3 times a monthor less
Once/twice every 3months or less
Social acvities at age 30-34
Social activities at age 45-49 by level of social activity at age 30-34
15 years later"Once/twice every 3months or less"
15 years later "2-3 timesa month or less"
15 years later "Once aweek or more"
69%
47%36%
25%
45%
38%
6% 8%
27%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Once a week ormore
2-3 times a monthor less
Once/twice every 3months or less
Social acvities at age 50-54
Social activities at age 65-69 by level of social activity at age 50-54
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Adults who engage in regular social
activities with family and friends are
more likely to be in good health
6% 4%12%
19% 24%
30%
36%42%
34%
31%23%
21%
7% 8% 3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Once a week or more 1 to 3 times a month Once/twice every 3months or less
Self-assessed health by frequency of social activities adults aged 65-69
Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
Source: Self-completed questionnaire HILDA Wave 1, adults aged 65-69, weighted.
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Perspectives on Family Policy
and Ageing
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Household type of older
Australians
Source: HILDA Survey, Wave 15, 2015
31%
12%
5%
29%
10%
8%
41%
35% 11%45%
33%
30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
55-64 65-74 75+ 55-64 65-74 75+ 55-64 65-74 75+ 55-64 65-74 75+
People Born in Australia People Born in Mainly English SpeakingCountries other than Australia
People Born in Other Non-EnglishSpeaking Countries
People Born in Asia
Household Type, by Age Group and Country of Birth
Couple, no others Couple with children or others Single parent household Other family, no children
Lone Person Group Household Multi Family Household
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Who do your parents live with?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
AUS MESB Asia NESB - Other AUS MESB Asia NESB - Other AUS MESB Asia NESB - Other
Parents live together Mother Only (Separated or Widowed) Father Only (Separated or Widowed)
Parents' living situation, by country of birth (individuals aged 50+)
Live independently Supported livng Nursing Home With me With my sibling(s) With other relatives With someone else
Source: HILDA Survey, Wave 15, 2015
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Ageing in place
• Two in three people aged
over 50 intend to remain in
their current home
• Yet only 38% have plans in
place to prepare for getting
older and becoming frailer
• For those who intend to
remain in their own home:
– 36% have no design
features in their home to
assist frail people
– 29% cannot afford such
changesSource: 2012 National Seniors Survey
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Ageing in place
• From age 65: 28% of males
46% of females will be admitted
to residential care
• Affordability and suitability of
housing is a key concern:
– Only 25% believed they could
afford costs of aged care
– 40% of respondents did not
know if they could afford their
aged care costs in the future –
underscoring the importance
of retirement planning
Source: 2012 National Seniors Survey
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The new “young old”?
A new stage of life is emerging between the end of the
conventional working age and the onset of old age
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What do we know about these
“young old”?
• Relatively good health
• Often still working
• Money to spend
• Want financial security
and flexibility
• They will remain
productive for longer, not
just because they must
but because they can
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Inequalities
“Inequalities experienced in earlier life in access to
education, employment and health care, as well as those
based on gender and race, have a critical bearing on
status and well being in older age”.
WHO 2002
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Grandparenting
• Children with a co-resident
grandparent - percentages are
highest among the 0–1 year old
children: 7%
• Non-resident grandparents are
providing a lot of support:
– 40% of kids under 3 years
have grandparent care weekly,
often supplementing other
forms of childcare
– Grandparent child care is also
significant for school-age
children
Source: LSAC; Baxter 2013
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Intergenerational relationships
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Perspectives on Family Policy
and Ageing
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Multidisciplinary perspectives
Physical and mental health
Housing and urban/rural planning; Technology
Education and lifelong learning
Employment
Social security
Aged Care services
Family and relationship support services
Justice
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“Active ageing” - WHO 2002
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Perspectives on Family Policy
and Ageing
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Policy opportunities
• Change employment practices to facilitate mature workers’ participation
• Facilitate lifelong learning
• Promote intergenerational support and forward planning
• Facilitate “active ageing” by making healthy behaviours and social participation easy to choose
• Culture change and multidisciplinary action and collaboration required
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Policy opportunities
• Promote lifelong learning (and earning)
• Promote good interpersonal relationships
• Promote healthy behaviours (physical activity, no smoking, nutrition)
• Promote adaptive capabilities and socio-emotional skills (to deal with change, stress and relationships)
• Structural measures to address disadvantage and barriers due to gender, disability, race and poverty.
• Review employment policies, and workplace culture and practices
• Review housing policies; transport;
• Create safe neighbourhoods (good for young and old)
Discovering what works for families Australian Institute of Family Studies
Policy opportunities
Designing “human-centred”
policy and services means
we are interested in the
experience and aspirations
of people, and what
requires change or
adaptation in situations or
circumstances.
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Understanding “what matters most”
Good for young and older
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What matters most to families in the 21st Century?
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Advance planning tools in
the Australian context
• Advance planning tools (for eg., executing a will; enduring appointments):
➢ opportunity to exercise choice and control in decision-making into older
age and in the event of loss of capacity in the future.
• Legislation in each state and territory provide for enduring appointments but
there are variations between the states and territories:
➢ ALRC 2017 recommendation: “national approach to enduring
documents”.
• Benefits of advance planning include:
➢ Making arrangements for the management of financial, medical and other
personal matters.
➢ Selecting trusted person/s to support or make decisions.
• However, advance planning cannot remove all risk of of abuse.
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Who cares for your parents?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
AUS MESB Asia NESB - Other AUS MESB Asia NESB - Other
Mother Father
Who spends most time meeting the needs of your parent(s)? (individuals aged 50+)
Spouse/partner Me My spouse/partner
My sister My brother Friend/other relative
In-home professional carers Staff members of the nursing home Other
Source: HILDA Survey, Wave 15, 2015