Australians positive and confident about ageing at home, but knowledge and planning gap remains

Current attitudes and behaviours pose significant barriers to maintaining independence and accessing Support at Home services

New research by not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas has found that while 89% of Australians aged 65+ want to remain in their own home as they age, very few are taking the practical steps needed to make that possible.

The Benetas Ageing in Place: An Australian Perspective report surveyed more than 2250 Australians aged 55 and over to better understand their knowledge, attitudes and readiness to age well at home.*

The centrepiece of the report is the new Ageing in Place Readiness Index (AiPRI), designed to measure and benchmark both the practical and emotional aspects of ageing successfully at home across five categories: preparedness, knowledge, attitude, confidence and technology use.

The results show that there is a clear gap between what Australians want and how prepared they are to make that happen. Australians aged 65+ scored 51 out of 100, and those aged 55-64 scored just 48. Among the older cohort, attitudes (61) and confidence (59) were comparatively higher but practical measures - knowledge (50), technology use (31) and preparedness (54) scored lower.

Although the majority (79%) of Australians 65+ maintain regular health check-ups and half (50%) report a healthy diet and exercise routine, far fewer have considered the practicalities of ageing at home. Less than one in three (30%) have made home modifications, only 25% have considered future transport needs, and only 6% have enrolled in fall prevention programs or strength training.

Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said the goal of the Ageing in Place Readiness Index is to provide a simple but robust and multi-dimensional metric to help industry and government better understand and support older Australians.

“Successful ageing in place is as much about mindset and coping strategies as it is about formal supports and Benetas is proud to play a leadership role in understanding and advocating for the needs of older Australians.

Optimism about ageing is a strength, and it is encouraging to see a generally positive outlook amongst Australians. However, it needs to be coupled with proactive planning, so more Australians maintain their independence at home for longer.

“What we’re seeing right now is that older Australians are more likely to be planning financially for their death, than taking steps and making plans to optimise their health and wellbeing during their golden years.

“With the number of Australians aged 75+ expected to grow by more than one million in the decade ahead, the gap between ageing in place intentions and actions is worrying”, Ms Hills said.

The research also found challenges with understanding the system, with only 33% of older Australians claiming to have at least a basic understanding of the new Support at Home program.

“Ageing well at home, as most Australians want, means taking proactive steps to maintain good health by accepting help, and making minor home modifications such as installing hand rails when appropriate.

“The system is complex, but there are many things that Australians can and should be doing to build agency and resilience in later life and forward planning is key.

“Government and industry must work together to inform decision making and address current levels of misunderstanding and deferral. The quality of life of older Australians and the effectiveness of the Government’s new Support at Home program relies on it,” Ms Hills said.

* Research undertaken by Lewers in May 2025 and April 2026, before and after the introduction of the Aged Care Act reforms on November 1 2025.

Related downloads

For more information, download the full white paper and infographic:

• Download the Ageing in Place white paper
• Download the Ageing in Place infographic