Health

The Older Women’s Network believes that priority must be given to the maintenance of health and well being.

OWNQ recognises that health is more than the absence of disease. Health also includes a personal sense of well being, socio-economic, emotional, social, cultural and physical factors.

The Older Women’s Network understands that the environment is not just a physical issue. The environment is an all embracing concept that influences, and is influenced by, economic, social, cultural and psychological factors such as housing, transport, health, social justice, education and the mass media.

Healthy Ageing and Healthy Physical Ageing

‘Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age’ . 

Healthy Ageing is influenced by personal, behavioural, economic & social factors, the physical environment, health and social services.

About the Population

Between 1994 and 2014 the proportion of people aged 65 years and over increased from 11.8% to 14.7% and the proportion of people aged over 85 years and over almost doubled from 1.0% of the total population in 1994 to 1.9% in 2014. At June 2011, 577,800 Queensland residents, or 13% of the States population, were aged 65 years or older. This represents of 155,600 people since 2001.

In ten years to 2011, the proportion of people aged 65 years or older in Greater Brisbane increased slightly from 11% to 12% while in the rest of Queensland it increased from 12% to 14%.