National Ageing Research Institute Ltd

06/03/2026

🚨 Delay in National Elder Abuse Action Plan leaves older Australians at risk

NARI is deeply concerned by today’s reporting that Australia’s next National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians has been delayed by more than two years. The previous plan expired in 2023, and frontline services warn that this ongoing gap leaves older people more vulnerable to harm.

Elder abuse is a critical and growing issue. A coordinated national approach is essential to prevent harm, support victim survivors, and strengthen the systems that protect older Australians. We urge urgent action and transparency on the timeline for releasing the new plan.

NARI Board member Sue Leitch is co-Chair of Elder Abuse Action Australia: "We are calling for the urgent release of the plan and for the federal government to commit through budget processes to support the plan and its implementation."

At NARI, our vision is “a world where older people are respected, included and have the opportunity to age well.” This vision drives our commitment to evidence-based solutions, advocacy, and research that uphold the wellbeing and dignity of all older Australians.

📌 Read the full News story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-06/elder-abuse-action-plan-delayed-by-more-than-two-years/106420660

The National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians lapsed in 2023 and the government has not given a timeline for the release of its replacement.

04/03/2026

🟥🟨
It’s Red & Yellow Day, when we celebrate the incredible work of our surf lifesavers.

Here at NARI, we’re hearing from our own resident surf lifesaver — our Director, Professor Tracy Comans — with an important reminder about water safety for older Australians.

Did you know?
➡️ Last year was the highest rate of drowning ever recorded with 357 deaths
➡️ Older age groups are the most at risk - 1 in 3 drownings were in people aged 65 and over.

Older adults face greater risks due to health and mobility changes.

What can you do?
✔️ Swim at patrolled beaches
✔️ Look for the red and yellow flags
✔️ Be aware of your health limits
✔️ Never swim alone
✔️ Wear flotation devices if balance or strength is an issue

A huge thank you to all our surf lifesavers keeping Australians safe today and every day. ❤️💛

&YellowDay

04/03/2026

A wonderful event last week at Government House as the Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria honoured NARI’s 50 years of ageing research. We’re grateful for her reflections and for her ongoing support as our Patron.

03/03/2026

Chair of the NARI Board, Professor Geoff McColl had the honour of sharing some words at NARI’s 50th Anniversary launch at Government House. Thanks again to our patron for hosting - the Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC Governor of Victoria.
Some snippets to share from his address:
🎈Over five decades, NARI has evolved alongside Australia’s ageing population. From early clinical training and service development, through to laboratory science, and now a strong focus on policy, practice change and translation into real-world settings.
🎊 But one thing has never changed: NARI has always been a driver of meaningful improvement in the lives of older people.
🎉 NARI remains unique as the only independent research institute in Australia solely dedicated to the science of ageing. That independence matters.
🎈It allows us to connect researchers, policymakers, clinicians and providers across the entire ageing journey - from biological mechanisms and prevention, through dementia and hospital care, to aged care, end-of-life care, and it enables us to keep older people - along with their families and carers, who play such a central role - at the heart of everything we do.
🎊While individuals and projects change, NARI provides continuity - a trusted national institute that creates and synthesises evidence, communicates it clearly, and ensures it reaches those who can use it. NARI excels in genuine co‑design, working hand‑in‑hand with older people and communities because we are deeply embedded in the places we serve.
🎉As we celebrate our past, we are also looking ahead. Our next fifty years will depend on strong, collaborative partnerships - across government, universities, health services and aged care providers and most importantly older people, their families and carers and their communities - to support for all Australians.

Board Members: Andrew Simpson; Dr Monica Trujillo; Janice Besch GAICD ARMSF; Kylie Cochrane; Michael Tandora; Geoff McColl Stephen Thomas; Sue Leitch https://www.nari.net.au/pages/category/our-board

01/03/2026

Thrilled to share that our paper "Development of a Massive Open Online Course for carers of people living with dementia to support continence caregiving: a co-design approach” has just been published in the Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal! 🎉

A huge congratulations to Joan Ostaszkiewicz, Elizabeth Watt, Jessica Cecil, Elizabeth Pascoe, Anita Goh and Briony Dow on this achievement - it’s wonderful to see this work out in the world and accessible to all.

This paper outlines the development of a MOOC about caregiving, dementia and incontinence - an area where accessible, evidence‑based education can make a real difference for clinicians, carers, and ultimately for people experiencing incontinence.

You can read the full paper here:
🔗https://doi.org/10.1071/CJ25006

Thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported this research. We’re excited for the conversations and impact it will spark in care, and

If the topic is relevant to your work or interests, please take a look and share with colleagues who may find it useful!

28/02/2026

What a joy‑filled start to NARI’s 50th Anniversary year!

We’re delighted to share just some of the wonderful moments captured among colleagues, partners, friends and supporters of NARI at our event at Government House. Thank you to the Governor of Victoria for your patronage and support.

We had past and current NARI staff, members of our Community Advisory Panel, our Board, and so many of our friends and colleagues who join us on the path of improving the lives of older people.

Getting together with long‑standing collaborators with warm conversations and shared reflections, these happy snaps help show the heart of what makes NARI what it is - people and partnerships.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone and contribute to the energy, humour and connection that filled the room.

Here’s to a year of celebration, community and continuing our mission to improve the lives of .

Honouring the past, shaping the future of ageing research - together.

27/02/2026

This week we had the honour of launching NARI’s 50th Anniversary at Government House, together with our patron - the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC.

It was a truly special afternoon - a moment to reflect on five decades of pioneering ageing research, celebrate the people and communities who have shaped NARI, and look ahead to the work still to come.

Our theme for this milestone year, “Honouring the past, shaping the future of ageing research,” captures both where we have come from and where we are going.

For 50 years, NARI has been dedicated to improving the lives of older people through evidence, innovation and partnership - and we remain just as committed today.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. We look forward to a year of celebration, reflection and bold ambition for the future of ageing.



Governor of Victoria

26/02/2026

🎉 We’re turning 50! 🎉
Today we’re excited to officially launch our special anniversary logo and tagline:
🌟 Honouring the past, shaping the future of ageing 🌟
For 50 years, NARI has been dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of older people — and everything we’ve achieved has been because of the incredible people and communities we work with.
2026 will be a year of celebration, stories, and looking forward to the next chapter in ageing research and innovation. We can’t wait to share it with you.

25/02/2026

Last Wednesday we had a fantastic kick‑off meeting in Adelaide for the new Centre of Research Excellence in Optimising Health Care in the Home for Older Australians.

With more older Australians receiving aged care at home, this work has never been more important. Unplanned hospital use remains high, and the 2025 Support at Home program brings opportunities as well as challenges. However, the evidence base to guide best practice is still limited.

That’s exactly why this CRE exists.

Under the leadership of Professor Gill Harvey of Flinders University Flinders Caring Futures Institute, we will work together to:
🏠 Generate new knowledge on what “optimal care at home” looks like - across health outcomes, equity, and system performance.
🏠 Translate evidence into real‑world policy and practice to improve outcomes for older people, carers, and organisations supporting them.
🏠Build and mentor the next generation of researchers.
🏠Strengthen cross-sector collaboration so findings can be widely shared, understood, and implemented.

Very proud that NARI will play a key role, with Prof Tracy Comans, Sue Williams, and Associate Professor Frances Batchelor contributing to capacity building, policy evaluation, and initiatives to strengthen workforce skills and confidence. Looking forward to what we’ll achieve together.

National Ageing Research Institute, The Registry of Senior Australians Deakin University, National Health and Medical Research Council - NHMRC The Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH)

19/02/2026

Fun Ageing Fact!
Did you know that women tend to live longer than men partly because of genetics?
With two X chromosomes, women have extra biological “backup”—a built‑in spare parts system.
Even cooler:
In birds, it works in reverse! Male birds have two Z chromosomes (ZZ) and often live longer than females (ZW).
Nature has some fascinating tricks when it comes to longevity. 🧬✨
If you love learning about healthy ageing, follow NARI for more insights!

18/02/2026

⭐ 2026 NARI Seminars in Ageing! ⭐

Join us for our FREE online Seminar in Ageing on Tuesday 10 March 2026, 12-1pm AEDT/AEST.

Topic: From Evidence to Engagement: Can Pragmatic, Low-Dose Exercise Interventions Bridge the Gap for Older Adults? presented by Dr Jackson Fyfe, PhD

About the presenter: Dr Jackson Fyfe is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University, Melbourne. His research focuses on pragmatic, low-dose exercise strategies designed to limit age-related declines in physical function in older adults. His work also uses digital technologies to support remote delivery and monitoring of exercise interventions, with a strong focus on real-world feasibility and uptake.

Register here for this FREE event: eb65bd21-2001-4a02-9570-d76629257d7e@448f0359-06e0-4e57-a975-872fad3320c9" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/eb65bd21-2001-4a02-9570-d76629257d7e@448f0359-06e0-4e57-a975-872fad3320c9

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

16/02/2026

🎉 Celebrating International Recognition for NARI’s Global Health Impact 🎉

As NARI celebrates 50 years of advancing ageing research, we are delighted to share our Senior Principal Research Fellow Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen has been formally honoured by the Vietnamese Embassy to Australia at its Annual Gathering of Vietnamese Australians in Canberra.

This recognition acknowledges their exceptional contributions to strengthening Australia–Vietnam collaboration in health research and advancing health sciences in Vietnam.

This honour reflects the broader impact of NARI’s work over the past five decades - our commitment to equitable global health partnerships, our dedication to improving the lives of older people, and our sustained leadership in ageing research both in Australia and internationally.

We are immensely proud of Tuan’s achievement and grateful for the opportunity to continue building strong, meaningful collaborations that create healthier futures for older people around the world.

Congratulations, Tuan!