We are all blessed to be alive now in 2025 and should be thrilled that life expectancy in Australia has increased from 59 years in 1925 to 83.18 years in 2025

But as everything in life you don’t get something for nothing .

Rising longevity and decreased birth rate is increasing demand for aged care in staffing and in funding— in a system that’s already strained and stretched almost to its breaking point .

Now, about 14% of Australians are older than age 65.

And that number is going up.

By 2043 that number will be 20.7%

So Over 1 in 5 .Or approx 7.25 million people - About the current population of Sydney, Adelaide , and Canberra metro areas combined will be over 65 in Australia

.

The demand for residential aged care in Australia is also projected to double over the next 20 years, with an average year-on-year increase of approximately 9,900 new residents, reaching almost 400,000 by 2043

That being said A recent poll has indicated that 68% of Australians prefer to

receive care in their home rather than live in an aged care facility .

Consider that

Elderly people  have usually lived in their home for many years and built relationships with neighbours and the surrounding community.

Even small daily interactions, like the conversation with a local postal worker or a familiar grocery cashier, provide a network of social support which help keep their morale high and continue to provide a sense of purpose—- which has been proven in multiple studies to aid in longevity and quality of life .

Moving to residential care requires building a new community.

This can be difficult and stressful.

An inpatient environment, no matter how well-designed, can never be as homelike as one’s private home.

As of 30 June 2023, 258,374 Australians accessed Home Care Packages

In fact the Aged Care Home care and Residential Services industry in Australia is $36.4bn in 2025.

Not surprisingly , navigating this bureaucracy and industry can be difficult and overwhelming .

One person who is committed to helping older people remain living in their own homes as long as possible in their own way is Jennifer Holmes

She runs a company called in my place and she joins us here today

Matt gives several keys to problem solving applicable in business and everyday life as well as how to utilise them by using everyday and historical examples .

There are currently 5.5 Million people that are disabled in Australia . That is 21.4% of the population .The numbers are similar on a % basis in the USA

To help Australians , in 2016 after a 3 year trial , what is called the National disability Insurance scheme or NDIS was put in place throughout Australia

AS of 31 DEC 2024 approx 700 thousand people access NDIS services annually .

One person who helps navigate this government bureaucracy and ensure quality care for some of our most vulnerable and many would argue—- special citizens is Geoff Potter —-

Geoff potter has extensive experience in the aged care /Disability space and acts a consultant in many areas within the disability sector and he joins us here today

.One person who has made it her mission to help out women in particular ——

rebuild their lives after undergoing trauma or big life changes is Dr Desiree Beekharry PHD

She is the founder of manage the conflict , Desiree Beekharry coaching , and the creator of the authenticity conflict and emotional intelligence or ACE principle

And she joins us here today

In the 2020 2021 fiscal year Australia generated close to 76,000,000 tons of waste.

70% of land waste could’ve been recycled.

Only 13% of plastics were recycled.

130,000 tons of plastic find their way into the marine environment.

It is believed that 99% of sea birds have ingested plastic.

It’s also believed that if the current trajectory continues the oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

A recent 2022 study done in the Netherlands found ithat over 80% of individuals tested had micro plastics in their blood. They’ve also been found prevalent in human lungs , placenta and breastmilk. Plastics contain over 16,000 chemicals, many of which remain untested so we don’t know exactly how many are toxic to human health. We do know that at least 4,200 (or 26%) of these are highly hazardous to human and environmental health . Landfill also aids in the production of greenhouse gases which scientists are generally in agreement that will adversely affect our climate for human habitation even though they still debate the extent of said damage.

One person who is trying to do her part to help with these and other associated problems is Kathryn Scarborough.

Kate has over 20 years experience in

Waste management, reduction , analysis , educational and staff training management .She works with businesses, councils, and even sports teams on these issues and she joins us here today .

About Three and a half millennia ago the ancient Hebrews Spoke of a being called SAH TAN . Today we say Satan. That original word literally translates in Hebrew to the accuser. So at least as far back as then people knew that voice that’s telling them you’re not good enough you’re not smart enough. you don’t deserve it. You’re bad. Do the wrong thing you’re worthless anyway -

Was the root of all evil.

Later in the 6th century BC China Lao TZU the great philosopher said

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

Closer to our own time Henry Ford said if you think a thing can be done will you think a thing can’t be done? You’re right either way.

Enter NLP or neuro linguistic programming which traces its roots in part to the mid 1950’s back to cybernetics Which basically says systems are organised on feedback and from the Palo Alto mental research facility in the 1960s which basically among other ideas focuses on the concept that humans can’t really know reality

so we act according to the constructions we create in our minds.

One person who is focused on helping us create the right kind of constructions in our minds is Sue GIACOBBE and she joins us here today.

Sue Giacobbe is a passionate and dynamic NLP Master Practitioner, Trainer, and Facilitator of Change, dedicated to helping people break free from self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and fear. She has over 20 years of experience in coaching, mentoring, and training across Personal Development, Education, and Business

According to the Australian bureau of statistics

42% of Australian men

and 31% of Australia women have suffered from physical violence after the age of 15.

For this reason in the past decades the Self defence training industry has blossomed .

But being capable of defending oneself should one become a statistic is not the only benefit self-defence training has.

There is also the confidence that comes with knowing that one could take care of oneself if they were ever in that situation.

In addition, Martial arts and self-defense training offer a well-rounded approach to personal development— providing significant mental,

physical,

and social benefits.

Mentally, they enhance focus, discipline, and confidence while reducing stress and anxiety.

Physically, they improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall fitness, promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Socially, self defence and martial arts training fosters camaraderie, teamwork, and respect for others as well as oneself, creating a supportive community that encourages personal growth.

Whether for self-protection, fitness, or personal enrichment, martial arts and self-defence empower individuals with skills that extend beyond the dojo or the gym, positively impacting all aspects of life.

These benefits are available to people of all ages, walks of life, and physical ability.

And One person who is committed to helping others realise these benefits is Jamie Ramzan.

Jamie Ramzan Jamie is an indigenous martial arts and self-defence instructor with over 20 years’ experience in

various disciplines including Wing Chun, Muay (moy) Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shoto Khan Karate , and the Filipino

Martial arts Panantukan and Kali.

Jamie has a passion for teaching, coaching and mentoring a diverse range of individuals (children to

adult) including people with disabilies, neuro Diversities and survivors of Domestic abuse.

Unfortunately, grief is part of the human condition.

At some point all of us will lose someone or many someones we care deeply for.

Grief cannot only cause emotional issues like anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness , numbness of emotion etc. but can also manifest in physical ways like headache, nausea, aches and pains, restlessness, it can even weaken our immune system, and lead to chronic disorders like cancer and heart disease .

Grief is a process and it said to have seven steps.

For ourselves and those still with us who we care for- we need to and perhaps even obligated to find a way to manage our grief and move forward.

One person who has committed herself to helping people though this process in the best possible way is Diane Hutchinson and she joins us in this episode to discuss grief and strategies to manage it .

Diane has a

BA HONS (Psychology)

Graduate Diploma in Counselling (Grief & Loss) is a

Certified Master Practitioner in NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), & Time Line Therapy™

A Certified Results Coach

A Member of A.C.A. (Australian Counselling Association)

A Member of I.I.C.T. (International Institute of Complementary Therapies)

And is the author of multiple books

The Australian human rights commission states that 35% of Australians between 55-64 and 43% of Australians over 65

feel they have experienced age related discrimination .

The Australian human rights commission also states that 71 % of Australians over 65 reported they had been insulted or mistreated on the basis of their age .

Oftentimes our elders ,who throughout history in other societies, where venerated for their wisdom, life experience and contributions , are made to feel invisible or perhaps even worse.

One person who has made it her mission to change these attitudes and perceptions joins us here today …..

Tass Schmidt is Pro-ager, Life Reset Coach, Speaker and Writer

Many believe that the mind is a powerful thing .

In the past few decades ,

Cutting edge Experiments in quantum mechanics done and published in reputable scientific journals show that ——-

observation seems to actually

——affect reality .

These are not new ideas .

Around 2500-2600 years ago

Buddha said what you think

you become

What you feel?

You attract .

what you imagine

you create

Lao-Tze. The Chinese philosopher said

Around the same time

Watch your thoughts; they become words 

Watch your words; they become actions 

Watch your actions; they become habits 

Watch your habits; they become character 

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny

And around 3000 years ago it was written in the book of proverbs

As someone thinks within himself, so he is.

-(Proverbs 23:7)

One person who has made it her mission to share these ancient truths and cutting edge new research is Susan Bromley .

She is a facilitator and trainer in wellness, stress management , and change programs and is SA only nuerochange solutions consultant and she joins us in the studio today