As our population ages, the impact of older people’s vulnerability to poor health and unmet legal need increases. This vulnerability may arise from greater isolation or dependency on others due to existing gaps in service accessibility or effectiveness for older people, particularly for people who are hard to reach or experiencing complex need.

The capability of community legal services to identify and meet the legal needs of older people may require partnerships or integrated service models across health and human services, particularly where legal, health and social needs intersect or impact upon each other. And service systems need to guard against these vulnerabilities and address them when they are identified, including by hearing from people affected directly.

‘Health, justice and ageing’ invites practitioners, researchers, service providers, policy-makers and community members to join us in a critical discussion about supporting the health, justice and dignity of people as they age. Discussion will explore some of the social and systemic factors that determine vulnerability among older people, such as:

• Wealth inequity
• Changes in cognitive and physical abilities
• Capacity and capability within institutions and services
• Difficulty navigating systems
• Role of advisors
• Loneliness and isolation
• Ageism and discrimination