Prolonged old age, the sandwich generation and biohacking—the realities of an aging Australia

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of prolonged old age in Australia and explores solutions to the challenges it presents.

Australians are living longer and longer, which is on one hand a beautiful thing. But on the other, prolonged old age is wreaking havoc. So how might we respond to this new demographic situation we find ourselves in? Lucinda Holdforth is a writer who specialises in looking at what makes good societies flourish, everything from manners to politics and equality. Most recently, she's set her sights on the unintended negative consequences following the extraordinary increase in life span around the world, particularly in Australia. In the past 50 years, human life expectancy across the globe has jumped from 46 years old to 73, and in Australia that number is even higher -- an Australian born today is likely to live until they are 84 years old. On the surface, living longer is a very good thing. It means more time spent with our loved ones, looking at the stars, feeling the sun, living. But prolonged old age can also be very lonely and painful, and, as Lucinda argues, it is costing society as a whole in many ways. She has seen this firsthand, as a daughter who supported her own parents in their long old age, and has some surprising suggestions about how we could do things differently…

People in this episode

Host: ABC Australia

Guest: Lucinda Holdforth

Topics covered

• aging
• longevity
• sandwich generation
• biohacking
• societal impact
• caregiving

Keywords

• aging Australia
• longevity
• sandwich generation
• caregiving
• societal impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Simon & Schuster

More episodes of Conversations

• From party trick to pop star — meet Molly Lewis, professional whistler · June 12, 2026 · 51 min
• Encore: My adventures on the high seas with a fugitive on the run · June 11, 2026 · 50 min
• Algorithms, accountability and the 'manosphere'—empowering men to be the solution · June 10, 2026 · 53 min
• Encore: The remarkable life of Professor Richard Scolyer · June 9, 2026 · 52 min
• How Japanese spirituality can help make everyday life more beautiful · June 8, 2026 · 51 min
• Hip Hop, home, and humanity—'trials' on reckoning with his origin story · June 5, 2026 · 52 min