“I'm definitely not socially excluded!”- Perceptions of social exclusion among Australian government housing residents aged 80 and older who live alone

The oldest old - those aged 80 years and over - are the fastest growing sector of the Australian population and are generally assumed to be at risk of social exclusion which impedes healthy aging. The voices of those thought to be vulnerable to social exclusion are seldom heard. Informed by a critical gerontology framework, socio-ecological model of health and life-course perspectives, this research involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 13 people aged 80 and older living alone in government housing, in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal a positive picture of survival despite hardship, supportive relationships, a sense of autonomy from living independently, and contributing to society. These findings challenge ageist assumptions, which equate advanced age with social exclusion.