An elderly citizens gets to know Pepper, an interactive robot. (Getty Images) share As millions of baby boomers near retirement, the many tailwinds for the aged care sector have been well-documented. Over the next 15 years, the number of Australians aged over 70 will almost double — to around 4.5 million. And as the population ages, the number of elderly citizens with dementia is forecast to rise by 88 per cent over the next 20 years. Not surprisingly, a federal government report released in February highlighted aged care as “one of the fastest growing industries in Australia”. Along with rapid growth comes plenty of challenges — as evidenced by this year’s Royal Commission, which highlighted some ugly examples of abuse and neglect at residential aged care facilities. Within those broader themes, it’s worth paying attention to what underlying trends are taking shape. Public spending on the rise For one […]