Our job is to understand the perspectives of older Australians on the issues that matter. The main tool we use is our annual National Seniors Social Survey, which surveys thousands of people each February/March on a changing variety of topics.

We translate the results into research reports, infographics, media articles, government submissions, industry presentations, and more, to get your voice in the ears of those who need to hear it.

Our research reports are freely available on the National Seniors website so please browse to find the work most relevant to you.

This year we’ve published eight reports from our survey data, and we still have more to come.

We relayed the heartbreaking situations some older people found themselves in with the rising cost of living.

We exposed the harsh realities of private health insurance, which many older people pay huge amounts to keep but with dwindling returns.

We revealed age patterns in vaccination against COVID, flu, and shingles, and used these results to discuss people’s fears and concerns about COVID boosters.

We analysed older Australians’ patterns of information-seeking and worry about dementia, feeding into the new National Dementia Action Plan. We also created a report specifically for people whose loved ones have dementia, drawing on the insights that hundreds of older Australians wanted to share about dementia from their own experience.

We addressed the inadequacy of the Age Pension and older people’s concerns about aged care costs, among other financial issues.

And most recently, we released the first two of four research reports about ageism. These two highlighted how much older Australians experience ageism in their everyday lives, and how ageism inhibits older people from doing activities they love.

All of this research feeds into National Seniors’ advocacy activities to ensure our policies and campaigns are evidence-based and up to date.

But our research is only as strong as the people that contribute to it. So next time you hear a call to participate in one of our surveys, do think about adding your voice.

And if you’re really fired up, consider registering for the NSA Supporters Group and you’ll never miss an opportunity to be heard.

https://nationalseniors.com.au/advocacy/nsa-supporters-registration