Leading retirement living and aged care provider Ryman Healthcare is launching a podcast exploring some of the burning issues Aussies are facing as they age.

Pod of the 3^rd Age (P3A), hosted by award-winning radio and TV personality Jo Stanley, delves into the opportunities, challenges and complexities of life for those 65+, offering practical information and advice on how to make these years as full and enriching as possible.

Featuring interviews with experts and older Australians, P3A will explore everything from the practicalities of downsizing your home, how to combat loneliness and social dislocation, the importance of spirituality to our overall sense of wellbeing, and the financial considerations when looking for housing or aged care options.

Episodes journey into the lives of real people, their aspirations, worries and unique approaches to ageing, lifting the lid on an often-misunderstood chapter of life while providing helpful insights for those entering their Third Age or supporting a loved one who is.

The first episode of the six-part series, featuring decluttering guru Peter Walsh, will launch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our website on June 11, 2024.

Peter shares practical tips and tricks and discusses how downsizing one’s home creates room to step into a new phase of life.

His advice for people moving to a smaller property is simple.

“Start small and start today,” he says.

“If the stuff you own doesn’t help you create the life you want, why do you own it?”

Other P3A episodes will feature Ending Loneliness Together CEO Dr Michelle Lim, Meaningful Ageing Australia CEO Rachael Wass, financial expert and commentator Rachel Lane, and Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon.

Each episode also includes the real personal story of an older Aussie related to that episode’s topic.

Ryman’s Communications and External Relations Manager Michael Cummings, who led the podcast project alongside Content Specialist Adam Ricco, said P3A aims to start authentic conversations about ageing that are relatable to the lives of real Aussies.

“Everyone’s experience of life in the Third Age is totally different and almost always characterized by a swirl of really complex, often contradictory, emotions,” Michael said.

“A whole new world of exciting opportunities opens up in this phase of life, but they’re often accompanied by anxieties or practical challenges that can hold people back from making the most of it.

“P3A is all about dragging all the good and hard things out into the open and talking about them in an honest, authentic, entertaining way so people feel empowered to live this special stage of their life on their own terms.”