Men’s Sheds reduce isolation and elder abuse risk

Besides the tools, toys and company, other important benefits can come from a Men’s Shed.

Top 3 messages about isolation and Men’s Sheds:

1. Being socially isolated increases an older person’s risk of experiencing elder abuse.

2. For many Australian men, retirement ends their social networks and they find it hard to establish new ones.

3. Men’s Sheds are located all round Australia and provide a great opportunity to rediscover purpose, social contact and the art of talking deeply.

As they get older, many Australian men face unexpected challenges. When the regular social contact that work provided them ends suddenly through retirement or redundancy, there’s a gap in life that’s not always easy to fill.[i] They can then become isolated, lose self-worth and experience a decline in mental and physical health – and, as research is now showing, isolation increases their chances of experiencing elder abuse.

So where can a fellow go to find a comfortable community for himself? One answer could be the local Men’s Shed.

Isolation and elder abuse

The National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study in 2021 found a clear link between low social contact and elder abuse in Australia: older people who saw family and friends less than once a week were more likely to report experiencing abuse.[ii] If we don’t see other people regularly, there’s no one to notice any signs of financial exploitation, emotional manipulation or neglect. We may also start doubting our own judgement about what’s happening if we have no one to talk it over with.

‘Retired men spent less time with family and friends outside of the household … Yet for retired women, the opposite pattern emerged,’ the Australian Institute of Family Studies reported in 2024. The report also found that men living alone are more likely to stay at home alone, while women living alone are more likely to engage socially outside the home.[iii]

What happens in Men’s Sheds?

The concept of a community gathering space for ‘blokes’ has been around since the 1970s and ’80s, with groups in regional centres like Broken Hill and Albury in New South Wales. The term ‘Men’s Shed’ was first applied in 1993 to a shed that opened in Goolwa, South Australia. Over the years, Men’s Sheds have spread from Australia to 12 other countries, including the UK, US and New Zealand.

Men’s Sheds are community facilities inspired by the traditional backyard shed, where men occupied themselves with assorted projects – fixing things, building things and generally tinkering, often with a mate in tow. You might see woodwork and metalwork underway at one Shed, music and model railways at another – or men just there for the cup of tea and conversation.

‘Overcoming social isolation is one of the big winners from a men’s health point of view’, said Stuart Torrance, who is Shed Development Coordinator, Wellbeing and Health at the Australian Men’s Shed Association.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA)

Established in 2007, AMSA is the national service provider supporting around 1,300 registered Sheds. The association supports registered Sheds with practicalities like administrative advice, Shed health and safety information, and wellbeing and health resources.

‘We’re not a governing body, we’re an assisting body,’ Stuart explained. ‘So we help Sheds do what they want to do.’

AMSA’s slogan, ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’, acknowledges that men tend to be less comfortable talking face-to-face and more comfortable talking side by side and busy. For men who grew up ‘toughing it out’ and keeping their feelings and problems to themselves, it’s a familiar image.

A Shed offers a safe space in which to connect, belong and open up, and Stuart has seen it happen. ‘In the middle of a conversation, someone will pipe up and say, “This happened, or that happened”. And someone [else] will offer a little bit of advice or a personal experience about the actual subject, and it gives that person something extra to think about.’

Can Men’s Sheds play a role in identifying that a member is experiencing elder abuse? Stuart believes so, because they provide men with a community: mates who’ll notice if their behaviour changes and offer perspectives on what’s going on.

Making men’s health a priority

Besides the tools, toys and company, other important benefits can come from a Men’s Shed. Slipped in with the camaraderie and creativity is access to men’s health information, supported by funding from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.

‘We call it “health by stealth”, explained Stuart, whose role includes visiting Sheds to give talks about topics like healthy brain ageing and prioritising medical check-ups – not always top of a man’s to-do list.

‘They come for the camaraderie and the friendship, but they also get a message about incontinence, bowel cancers, prostate cancer, heart conditions, healthy eating, diet and exercise. We promote particular messages and give [the men] links to resources and start those conversations.’

Who joins a Men’s Shed?

More than 50,000 Australian men have found their way to one of nearly 1,300 Men’s Sheds. So how big is your local Shed likely to be?

‘In rural and regional areas, you’ve got Sheds of 8 to 12 people, and in the cities you can get up to 300, 400 people,’ Stuart explained. ‘The majority are in retirement, over 65, but other guys are transitioning between jobs.’

All ages are welcome at a Men’s Shed, with many seeing fathers and sons coming along solely to do something together. Some Sheds offer mentoring for teenage boys who are at risk of dropping out of high school. Older members guide the boys through an activity of their choice, like building a skateboard ramp.

The non-judgemental, hands-on interaction allows the boys to discover not only the practical relevance of their school subjects, like maths and English, but also their own capacity to learn, do and solve problems. Meanwhile, the mentors enjoy leadership, company and ‘job’ satisfaction.

See the Men’s Shed community for yourself

Interested in the Men’s Shed idea? Stuart recommends exploring 3 or 4 local Sheds to find one that’s right for you. Each Shed operates independently, so they may offer different activities and set their own opening hours. Some might open 5 mornings a week if they have lots of members, others only one or 2.

You can find out more about Men’s Sheds through the links below, but the best idea is to go along and see for yourself. Because there’s nothing quite like working shoulder to shoulder to get a bloke talking about things that really matter.

Find out more

• Visit the AMSA website to find a Men's Shed near you

• Phone AMSA for more information on 1300 550 009

• Listen to the AMSA’s podcast, The Shed Wireless

• Read articles on the AMSA’s blog, The Shed Online

• Download the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ report, ‘Factors, dynamics and effects of isolation for older people: an exploratory study’ (2024; PDF, 745KB)