The Ageing Ideal

In this episode, we explore what happens when work, strength or status no longer define who you are as a man.

Host Jacinta Parsons speaks with Professor Leon Flicker, journalist Geoff Hutchison and Matt Sernig, co-founder of Spoke to a Bloke.

Through expert insight and lived experience, the conversation explores masculinity, identity, vulnerability and the challenges many men face as they grow older.

From retirement and invisibility to grief, sexuality and emotional openness, the episode considers how older men can adapt, stay connected and find new sources of meaning.

It’s a thoughtful, honest look at ageing, masculinity and who we can become in later life.

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What gives life meaning as we age? This episode explores purpose, connection, spirituality and self-reflection through heartfelt conversations with experts and lived experience voices.

In this episode, we explore how meaning in life is discovered, shaped and lived as we grow older. 

Host Jacinta Parsons speaks with Reverend Clare Brockett, the esteemed author of “The Meaning of Life” James Bailey, Lea Symonds a prison system advocate, and CEO of Meaningful Aging Australia, Rachel Wass.  

From their diverse perspectives on life, career and ageing, she invites them to reflect on purpose, self-worth, connection and the practices that help people find strength, joy and meaning. 

From reflection and gratitude to community, creativity and nature, the conversation reveals that our search for meaning is not fixed — it evolves across the many chapters of our lives. 

It’s a thoughtful, hopeful look at ageing and the personal journeys that help us understand what truly matters.

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In this episode, we step into one of life’s most universal yet least discussed realities — death, dying and end of life care.

We hear why these conversations are often avoided, and what it costs when we don’t talk about how we want to live our final years.

We explore palliative care, grief, dignity, choice and the importance of planning ahead, because how we approach death shapes how we live.

Professor David Currow reframes what a “good death” can mean, while clinician Esther McMillan Drendel and death doula Dina Symington share how support and presence transform the end of life experience.

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In this episode, we're stepping into the world of later life romance, companionship, desire and connection.

We hear from people discovering new partnerships after decades of marriage, from those navigating dating and more.  

We'll talk about grief and renewal, sexuality and intimacy, independence and togetherness, and the courage it takes to love again, because love and older age isn't a footnote, it's a chapter.

Ita Buttrose is one of Australia's most respected public voices, has witnessed and shaped six decades of social change and joins Jacinta to discuss her frank reflections of sex and love in later life in her memoir Unapologetically Ita.

Professor Deirdre Fetherstonhaugh from the Australian Center for evidence based aged care at La Trobe University, talks about some of the biggest myths or misunderstandings about older people when it comes to love, romance, intimacy and sexuality.

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Being a grandparent today isn’t about fitting into an old mould but finding your own rhythm.  Between love and limits, care and independence…there’s space for a new kind of grand-parenting to emerge.

In this episode of The Ageing Ideal, Jacinta Parsons speaks with grandparents Chris and Janice who talk about how they make it work as the live as one of four generations in their home.  

Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia’s most trusted psychologists and author of the book Grandparents and joins Jacinta to reflect on how grand parenting today is vastly different to previous generations of grandparents.  

Jacinta also speaks with Ann McLeish who is the Director of Grandparents Victoria to discuss what rights grandparents hold, how they can communicate those boundaries with some grace and some confidence. 

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When the pace of life slows and the noise of ambition quells, we begin to notice the difference between loneliness and solitude. 

Loneliness is the ache of absence—the empty chair, the silence when we long for familiar voices.
Solitude, on the other hand, is the comfort of our own company—the gentle pause after a busy life, where memories breathe and small joys shine.

In this episode of The Ageing Ideal, Jacinta Parsons speaks with Dr. Anita Goh to distinguish between the experience of loneliness versus solitude and also author and columnist for the Sunday Life Magazine Kerri Sackville about ways to embrace solitude.  Jacinta also visits the Strathmore Mens Shed and chats to elders about how to prepare for being alone and support others who are. 

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As we age, risk-taking becomes a conscious consideration. While caution often increases and those around us may encourage it, older adults still have the right to take risks.

Yet ignoring the challenges of ageing can have serious consequences. Finding the right balance is crucial, but it raises the question of who ultimately decides. 

In this episode of The Ageing Ideal, host Jacinta Parsons explores the dignity of risk with gerontologist Professor Joseph Ibrahim and COTA CEO Pat Sparrow and speaks with elders about their approach to risk, autonomy and decision-making and why wrapping people in cotton wool is not the answer. 

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You can be strong at any age. While it takes effort and commitment, are there limits to the physical activity and exercise we can do to keep our mind and body strong? Is it ever too late to start?

To find out, podcast host Jacinta Parsons is talking to Professor Alan Hayes, Assistant Dean, Western Centre for Health Research and Education at Victoria University and Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences.

Jacinta also goes to the coalface and talks to a group of older men and women who understand firsthand the benefits exercise and an active lifestyle have on their independence and wellbeing.

 

 

The Ageing Ideal Podcast is produced for Uniting AgeWell by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellbeing, happiness, joy...

Once considered to diminish as people age, research is showing the contrary - that ageing, even when it brings physical or cognitive decline, can deliver an uptick in overall quality of life.  It is referred to as The Ageing Paradox.

In this episode, Jacinta Parsons speaks with Dr Anita Goh, Associate Professor at the National Ageing Research Institute.  With pragmatism and optimism, Anita provides insight into The Ageing Paradox, debunks some misconceptions about ageing and opens the door to the opportunity to change the prevailing narrative about life in later years.

Jacinta also talks with Ian Braybrook and Mazza Bennett, broadcasters and owners of Radio 88FM for Seniors in Castlemaine.  They discuss resilience and living with a sense of purpose in their community. 

Liz Hicklin is one of a kind.  As energetic and excited about life as one could be, Liz says her life began at 90.  And at 94, with plenty of challenges in her pocketful of memories, she’s still trying things she’s never done before and leading a full life.

 

The Ageing Ideal Podcast is produced for Uniting AgeWell by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aged care sector has faced acute challenges in the last few years, with COVID further exposing cracks in the system and deepening a Royal Commission which was already underway. 

In this episode, Jacinta Parsons talks to Andrew Kinnersly, Uniting AgeWell Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, Fonda Voukelatos , to get a deeper understanding of the aged care system, what is and isn't working, and how best to move the sector forward.

Throughout the conversation, it's clear that both Andrew and Fonda have an incredibly strong commitment to the values by which Unitng AgeWell operate, but also due to their personal experiences.

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NOTE On 4 June 2025, the Australian Government postponed the implementation of the new Aged Care Act 2024 and its associated reforms to 1 November 2025.  This podcast episode was recorded prior to that announcement and references the original 1 July 2025 commencement date.

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The Ageing Ideal Podcast is produced for Uniting AgeWell by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.