Exploring the ‘grey nomad’ travelling population of Australia and its health: an integrative literature review
Margaret Yates
A D , Lin Perry B , Jenny Onyx C and Tracy Levett-Jones A
A Faculty of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2000, Australia.
B South East Sydney Local Health District and Faculty of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2000, Australia.
C Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2000, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: Margaret.M.Yates@student.uts.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 27(3) 163-177 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY20023
Submitted: 24 August 2020 Accepted: 7 December 2020 Published: 29 March 2021
Journal Compilation © La Trobe University 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
With increasing numbers of baby boomers retiring and taking to the road in rural and remote Australia, often for extended periods, this review aimed to identify the characteristics of these ‘grey nomads’ travelling across Australia, their experiences in relation to their health and social needs and their access to health care. To this end, an integrative literature review with narrative analysis was conducted. Studies of Australian grey nomad travellers published from 1999 to January 2020 were sourced from Ovid Emcare, Medline/PreMedline, Embase, PsychINFO, Academic Search Complete and Google Scholar. Fourteen records based on 11 studies described grey nomads as predominantly older heterosexual couples who defied the conventional view of aging by seeking adventure and new experiences. Many planned for their health needs while travelling, and their health was overwhelmingly reported to improve with the nomadic lifestyle. This review demonstrates the paucity of data about grey nomads. Information on travellers’ health care needs and service usage is a significant gap, undermining regional and rural service planning and the provision of healthcare services, and represents a considerable challenge for healthcare providers such as GPs, pharmacies and emergency departments.
Keywords: grey nomad, health, systematic review, travellers, women.
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