Social Health in Retirement is a practical training program that helps people navigate the social, emotional and identity changes of retirement — and equips organisations to support them.
Most retirement preparation focuses on financial readiness.
But when work ends, people don’t just lose income. They lose structure, identity, and everyday connection.
For many, this shift is gradual and unexpected.
People can be financially prepared — and still feel unprepared for what comes next.
For organisations supporting people into retirement, this presents a growing challenge.
Superannuation providers and local governments play an important role in shaping long-term outcomes — not just financially, but socially.
When the social side of retirement is overlooked:
Supporting social health is not an additional layer. It is a missing piece.
Social Health in Retirement is designed as a practical, accessible starting point.
It introduces the concept of social health and gives people the awareness, language and actions to stay connected, purposeful and well — before, during and after retirement.
This is not a complex or intensive program.
It is a clear, structured way to help people:
The program focuses on four key areas:
Understanding loneliness as a signal and strengthening meaningful relationships
Navigating the shift beyond work and redefining meaning
Managing the emotional and practical transition
Creating routines and activities that support a connected life
Social Health in Retirement can be delivered in a format that suits your audience, timeframe and level of depth.
Awareness and first steps
A focused introduction to social health in retirement, with practical ideas participants can act on immediately.
Understanding and application
A more interactive session exploring identity, connection and transition, with time to apply ideas to real life.
Integration and planning
A deeper workshop supporting participants to build a personalised approach to staying connected and well in retirement.
Each format is designed as a practical first step.
They all meet people where they are and help them move forward with greater awareness, confidence and connection.
This program is designed for:
Organisations
Participants
This training is positioned as a first step.
It helps people:
And it gives organisations:
This program is delivered through a collaboration between Humans:Connecting and Inclusee.
Inclusee is a recognised and award-winning organisation supporting social connection for older Australians, with a strong track record of community impact.
Humans:Connecting brings global insight into human connection, loneliness and relational infrastructure, shaped by leadership and policy experience across complex environments.
Together, the partnership combines:
This ensures the training is not only well-informed, but grounded, practical and ready to apply.
For many participants, this training is the beginning of a broader shift.
It creates awareness, builds confidence, and supports meaningful first steps.
From there, participants may choose to engage further with:
Supporting people through retirement means supporting more than finances.
It means recognising the human transition — and responding in practical ways.
Contact us to explore how Social Health in Retirement can support your people or community.
Social Health in Retirement Training is a practical program developed by Inclusee and Humans: Connecting to support people through the social, emotional and identity changes that often occur when work ends. It focuses on social connection, recognising the signals of loneliness, wellbeing and routine, complementing traditional retirement preparation that primarily focuses on finances.
The training is designed for organisations that support people before, during or after retirement, including superannuation funds, financial advisers, health insurers and local governments. It can also be tailored for community organisations or businesses offering additional support for the employees. It is suitable for people who are approaching retirement or recently retired, and can be delivered at scale across large and diverse populations.
When people stop working, they often lose more than income. They may lose structure, routine, social connection and a clear sense of role. Research and sector experience show that retirement is a highrisk transition for loneliness and social disconnection, even among people who are financially prepared. Social health helps protect wellbeing during this transition.
Participants leave with a clearer understanding of how retirement affects connection, identity and wellbeing, along with practical language and simple tools to respond. They gain confidence to recognise early signs of social disconnection and take achievable steps to strengthen relationships, routines and purpose in everyday life.
Most retirement programs focus on financial readiness or physical health. Social Health in Retirement addresses a less visible but critical gap: the human and social transition out of work. It is designed as a practical first step, helping people feel informed rather than overwhelmed and supported rather than judged.
The program can be delivered as a seminar, webinar or workshop, depending on audience size, timeframe and level of depth required. It is designed to be scalable, accessible and easy to integrate alongside existing retirement, wellbeing or member support services.
Social Health in Retirement Training is codesigned and codelivered by Inclusee and Humans: Connecting, bringing together complementary expertise in ageing, social connection and lived experience of loneliness.
Inclusee is led by CEO Rachael Cook, with Tatia Power heading strategy and partnerships, and has a strong national
track record supporting social connection for older Australians through community based, preventative approaches.
Humans: Connecting is founded by Phil McAuliffe, a recognised thought leader on loneliness and human connection with
lived experience, public policy expertise and advisory roles across Australian and global initiatives. Together, the organisations combine evidence informed thinking, real world practice and deep sector insight to deliver training that is credible for organisations and grounded in the realities of retirement transition.
