Meet Professor John McCallum, member of the Council of Elders
Professor John McCallum is a member of the Aged Care Council of Elders. The council provides advice to the government about aged care and ageing well. Council members engage with older people about changes to aged care.
John is a widely published academic leader in health and ageing with more than 50 years of experience in research, policy and community activism.
He has held senior leadership, teaching and research roles at universities in Australia and internationally.
Before retiring in 2023, John was the CEO of National Seniors Australia. Under his leadership, National Seniors built a reputation for relevant, practical research about the lives and sentiments of older people. This research contributed to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
"Aged care is very important to me. It has been my life's work. In the 1970s when I did a doctoral thesis at Oxford on retirement, in the midst of youth rebellion and hippies, I was told ageing would be the next big thing, and over my lifetime it has indeed become the current big thing," John said.
John has been recognised for his work in aged care. He received the Centenary Medal in 2001 'for outstanding service as a researcher to ageing and aged care issues' and led a major Australia/Japan collaboration in aged care.
"We really need to work in the wellness and health side of ageing," John said. "We have a large cohort of people over the age of 70 or 80 who are living longer, with interests and productive lives. That needs to be acknowledged and cultivated."
John is passionate about aged care issues, from retirement, to home care, health and ageing. He said "ageing well and aged care is a range of different things, which meld together to create a satisfactory later life".
John has been a member of the Council of Elders since its inception in 2021. He said, "The Council of Elders -- it's an idea that says there's valued advice from people with a long experence of living. It's really important and powerful to be dealing with ageing lives and aged care -- and the council helps along the way and gives dignity to older people in Australia."
Watch John's video to find out more about his interest in aged care and the role of the Council of Elders:
I'm John McCallum. I live in Canberra on the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin and I'm a member of the Council of Elders.
Aged care is very important to me because from the 1970s when I did a doctoral thesis in Oxford on retirement, ageing was the next big thing, they told me. And through that time from the 1970s, ageing has become the big thing.
I'm particularly passionate about over the time of various things. So first retirement and then home care and then health and ageing. So it's a range of very different things going together which have to meld together to create a satisfactory later lifespan.
We really need to work with the wellness and health side of ageing. Again just thinking now that we have a whole slab of people above the age of 70 or 80 who are living longer, living lives, and are human beings and have interests and all sorts of things, so that we can get a lifespan that's really recognised for what it is and cared for as it needs.
So you can talk about, you know, how many people it takes or how much money it takes to do things for aged care. But if you listen to people, you'll find out that the things they want are the things that are actually the best. And that's the way the world works now. You wouldn't be running a business without dealing with consumer sentiments to drive what you're doing.
Council of Elders. It's an idea that says there's value in older people with experience. So that vetting of things coming through has been really important and a really powerful, I think, asset for the Department of Health and Ageing, dealing with these things. And of course it's also something that helps along the way and gives dignity to older people in Australia.
To keep up-to-date with the aged care reforms and the work of the council, visit the Aged Care Council of Elders Facebook page or webpage.
Let's change aged care, together
Every Australian should feel confident about accessing high quality and safe aged care, when and where they need it.
The changes mean Older people will have greater choice and control, services that respect and meet their needs, and support to stay independent as they age.
To find out more and help design the changes, visit the Get Involved page or call 1800 318 209.