Preparation for Ageing and Later Life

In later life, ageing presents people with changing circumstances across most areas of their lives. Taking action to prepare for ageing helps maintain quality of life; it buffers against health-related challenges and increases opportunities for fulfillment and satisfaction in older age. The willingness and capacity to prepare for later life are driven by an individual’s personal characteristics interacting with social systems and cultural expectations. Very little is known about how prepared older people feel for ageing in an Australian context.Importantly, what aspects of preparation are a priority and what factors impact on people’s capacity to prepare?