Ask most people to picture later life, and too often the picture is small. It’s quiet, winding down. But that picture isn’t right.
On Thursday 1 October 2026, the world marks the International Day of Older Persons. Days later on 9 October, Ageism Awareness Day follows. Both celebrations ask us to see older people clearly – and to build a society that has room for everyone, at every age.
What these two days stand for
Dating back to 1990, each year on 1 October, International Day of Older Persons celebrates what older people contribute to the world. It also confronts the challenges they face, from health and isolation to the right to keep taking part in the world they grew up in and helped shape.
The NSW Government marks both this day and Ageism Awareness Day. On these days, the conversation turns the spotlight on ageism – the stereotypes and discrimination older people face simply because of their age.
Ageism is a serious issue, and it occurs too often. The World Health Organization's Global report on ageism links ageism to poorer physical and mental health, deeper social isolation and earlier death. When we treat age as a problem, we make life smaller for people who still have so much to give.
Loneliness is not a rite of passage
According to COTA NSW's Voices of Solitude report, 60% of Australians aged 50 and older experience loneliness, and half feel socially isolated.
Loneliness isn't a personal failing, and it doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of growing older. It's what happens when connection gets harder and community falls away. The good news? Community can be rebuilt. And that's where each of us comes in.
Many Australians over 50 tell us the same thing: life and relationships, home feels quiet and connection doesn’t come as easily as it once did within a few weeks here, that changes. They're back to being seen, heard and included."
- Andy Moore, Wesley Mission
How you can help build a more inclusive society
You don't need a policy or a program to push back against ageism. You just need to show up. Here's some good starting points:
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Check in. Call the older person you've been meaning to call. Presence is the simplest gift, and often the one most needed.
- Watch your words. Notice when "old" becomes an insult or a punchline. Language shapes how we see people, and how they see themselves.
- Value the contribution. Older people mentor, volunteer, care for grandchildren and hold communities together. Say thank you.
- Choose community. A shared meal, a local group, a neighbourly hello. Connection is the antidote to isolation.
Still showing up, since day one
Wesley Mission has supported older Australians since it started aged care services in 1928. Our programs have changed with the times, but our purpose hasn't: helping seniors live well, stay connected and feel like they belong.
Today, that support takes many forms. School for Seniors builds skills, friendships and confidence through lifelong learning. Home care gives people the help they need to stay independent in their own home. And retirement living builds community into everyday life.
Retirement living gives you community, beating loneliness
Loneliness isn't fixed by moving to a quieter street. It's fixed by having people around you. That's what a retirement village gives you – neighbours who know your name, activities that get you out the door and a community built in.
At Wesley Mission, that shows up in the everyday: shared spaces, organised events and the kind of familiar faces that turn a house into a home. You don't have to go looking for connection. It's already there.
Kay, a resident at Frank Vickery Village, knows what loneliness feels like. After losing her husband, she found herself increasingly isolated in the months before she moved to Frank Vickery Village. Now she says the community gave her back her social life, plus friendships she wasn't expecting.
This October, let's retire an old idea: that ageing means fading into the background. We’re driven to do good because every life matters.
Explore retirement living with Wesley Mission or find support and connection for older people.
