THE talents and skills of our seniors are manifold and retirement doesn't diminish expertise and flair.
Just ask veteran architect Hubert Van Hoof (75) from Ingenia Lifestyle's Bethania community in Queensland.
When the community was designing an extension for its clubhouse it called on Hubert for help and he was only to happy to contribute his skills and years of industry experience.
Hubert is a prime example of the theme of this year's International Day of Older Persons - Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older People in Society.
"My inspiration for becoming an architect stemmed from my two grandfathers, one was an artist and one was an architect. With a passion for both fields it was a blessing that becoming an architect actually combines both professions," he said.
"I have been fortunate to have a great deal of experience in designing facilities specifically for older people, including three senior citizens centres, an aged care hostel and units for the aged in country towns."
The United Nation's International Day of the Older Persons is celebrated on October 1 each year.
This year, the day's focus is on enabling and expanding the contributions of older people in their families, communities and societies at large.
"The international day of older persons is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the immense contributions of older people and the critical role played by older people in fostering a strong sense of community," said Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW spokesperson Ellis Blaikie.
"Older people are among the most diverse group in society, with everyone having their own unique life story. The knowledge, experience and wisdom gained over the course of a lifetime is invaluable and certainly worth celebrating.
"Many older people continue to face significant hurdles, with ageism and age discrimination being rife in Australia. From Governments that refer to older people as 'bed-blockers' or 'the grey tsunami' to businesses that refuse to hire older people based on incorrect and outdated stereotypes, it's clear that we still have a lot of work to do," she said.
