Older class people - First class experience : Stories of ageing well in rural communities of Victoria

Victorians aged 65 years and over are classified as ‘old’, yet many are able to remain living at home in a rural area, maintain health, retain a sense of wellbeing, and lead productive lives without requiring extraordinary assistance to do so. As such, these older people are exemplars of healthy ageing. This qualitative study examined the stories of older people who were living in that moment to answer questions about the meaning of ageing and living at home in a rural community for older people and the measures used to sustain that lifestyle. Rich descriptions were gathered through face-to-face interviews with ten older people living at home in various rural areas of Victoria. Their stories describe personal perceptions and philosophies of ageing and ‘being old’, life as a rural living older person and individual means of meeting declining physical dexterity. This study describes the acumen of a small group of rural living older people from whom much can be learnt. However, further research with larger populations of older people would enhance learning opportunities for other Australians who similarly wish to achieve positive healthy ageing whilst living at home in a rural community.E