With an ageing population, Australia is facing skyrocketing demand for aged care services, and new research is shedding light on the importance of social connectedness and a sense of purpose for healthy ageing.Data collected from more than 700 people aged between 65 and 98 from around the country points to seven key factors that contribute to wellbeing later in life, challenging long-held views on longevity.Dr Chloe Waddell, a psychologist who was the lead author of the research, told SBS News that the data reveals that social factors could be just as important to healthy ageing as a person's diet and exercise."As our population lives longer, it's important to understand how to support people in their later years But there has long been a lack of consensus about what ageing well actually means," she said."Past ideas of ageing well were that you had to be in perfect health — but as this research shows, feeling connected, having purpose and retaining control over your own life can be just as, if not more, important."According to the Treasury, within 40 years, the number of people aged over 65 is expected to double, and the number of people aged over 85 will triple.As part of her research with Federation University, Waddell interviewed and surveyed 722 Australians on what ageing well meant to them.The surveyed group included people from every state and territory