Future research, using representative and random samples, is essential.
Despite these limitations, however, this research has highlighted how issues of health, participation and security intertwine to determine the quality of the ageing experience and active engagement with life. Consistent with the West Australian Active Ageing taskforce (2003) argument, these findings suggest that as people grow older, being actively engaged in life is not exclusively defined in terms of good health or financial security; rather participation, in terms of social networks, activity and involvement, is the key to active ageing. However, as older people are the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, further qualitative and quantitative research is needed to explore the validity of the active ageing framework and clarify the health, participation and security needs, expectations and experiences of older Australians