ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the experience of countries falling within the Australasia and Oceania regions. It discusses the wide contrasts between states in this region in terms of demographics, social characteristics, and approaches to ageing cohorts of their populations. The two largest and most economically advanced countries are Australia and New Zealand. These have well-developed policy frameworks, health systems, social care, and senior living infrastructure. Both face challenges in respect of the social integration of their traditional and indigenous populations. Australia, in particular, faces stark contrasts between the experiences of the relatively affluent and sophisticated care and support models of the larger cities and those of rural and frequently marginalised Aboriginal communities. The smaller island states have very different characteristics and have tended to rely strongly on traditional family structures to support older people. The migration of younger people to larger states and cities, in search of professional development, inevitably reduces the potential of the local labour market to meet the needs of the population and increasingly poses challenges to the support needs of older people left behind.
