When I'm 64...

Rethinking ageing.

I was recently asked to present as part of a seminar series focused on ageing. As with all seminars in which I get involved, the starting point is always researching the subject before developing the structure.

The first question I asked myself was is ageing a positive or a negative? The typical response is that it is negative which I proved in a poll during my talk, with around 70% of people confirming ageing as a negative.

Having given it some thought myself, I believe there are many positives around growing older. As we get older, we become wiser with the benefit of our experiences as to how we face things in the future. There are issues around our health, but we are living longer and there is far more support than there has ever been.

As part of my research, I looked into the dictionary definitions of some of the most frequently used words around this subject. For example:

• Age: length of time during which our being has existed.
• Ageing: to grow old or mature as wine, cheese or wood.

When considering ageing we often think that it only happens in the later years of life. However, the reality is we start to age from birth. Ageing is the process of growing and maturing through life.

During our lives our level of independence and support changes. In the early years of our life we are less independent and require more support. As we get into mid-life, we are independent. As we move into later life, we need more support and often this means losing some of our independence.

When we talk about designing for ageing, the reality is all design of buildings includes an element of designing for ageing.

For example, in schools we design for ageing when we design different spaces for Nurseries and Primary Schools as to those we design for Secondary Schools. As we get older, we design housing. which is more appropriate to suit our mobility as we get older.

Life expectancy

A large part of the ageing discussion is around life expectancy which has increased exponentially over the past 150 years. In 1850, the life expectancy of men was 41 years. In 2020, the life expectancy of men has increased 79.9 years.

Until the end of the 19th century life expectancy was low, however, as we moved into the 20th century life expectancy began to increase. Until 1950 health improvements in the younger population improved due to childhood immunisation. After 1950 life expectancy began to increase due to health improvements with the older population such as heart disease treatment.

Why 65?

The next area for me to understand was why is 65 the retirement age and where did this all-important milestone come. It was suggested in 1889 by Otto Von Bismarck, known as Germany’s Iron Chancellor, who was facing a growing socialist movement across Europe. At the time of his decision the average life expectancy was slightly over 50.

In Britain it wasn’t until 1925 pension contributions were agreed for those over 70 which was later reduced to 65, but again, the average life span for men was 56 and women 61.

In the 21st century we are living much longer than ever, and therefore the definition of old is continually changing.

A definition of “Young Old” is currently is 55 to 65, “Middle Old” is 66 to 85 and “Old Old” is 85 and older.

There are many 55-year-olds I know who would be offended at being referred to as old. Young old must be beyond retirement.

Our ageing population continues to grow with 11.7 million of the UK over 65. On top of that, this figure is anticipated to grow to 14.3 million by 2025, which equates to 22% of the population.

By 2030, it is anticipated that one in five of us will be over 65 and by 2050 this will have increased to one in four. It is expected that 50% of this population will have a life limiting illness.

The question to ask is whilst we are living longer, are we living healthy? In Britain, we have a growing problem with obesity where 26% of males are obese and 29% of women. As well as this, 4 million have type 2 diabetes and 7.4 million people are living with heart disease.

As we grow older we need to consider the type of place we want to live. There is much discussion about the perfect environment for us to grow old in. Some models however feel contrived rather than being part of an existing community where passive support can be provided.

The most successful communities are where all ages of the population live side by side in a single community.

A good example of this is in a local suburb of Newcastle, Brunton Park. This community has evolved since the 1950s with several generations moving through the community. Young families have lived in the large three and four bedroom semi detached properties. As their families leave home parents often downsize to a bungalow. As they get older there is supported living which can provided additional care if required.

As well as places to live the community is supported by shops, a post office, and a micro pub. There is a tennis club, bowls, and football pitches. For the young families, there is a park.

The strong sense of community is supported by the community hall, scout hut and church. Healthcare is provided by the local GP, a clinic and pharmacy.

The community is only 1 mile from the busy Gosforth high street and 3 miles from Newcastle City Centre. There is a neighbourhood watch on Facebook helping the community to remain safe.

In an emerging world following coronavirus, it has proven that we can live independently and connect with the outside world. Those who have not typically used applications such as zoom are now connected. Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges of ageing and with digital connectivity now easily accessible this may go some way to help.

To help with independence we can access most services online. We can order our weekly shop, a takeaway or just about anything from Amazon which will be delivered the next day. Other technologies such as voice activation, wearables and sensors all help to improve our independence.

As our population grows older, we can learn from the past and use technology to provide passive support to extend our independence and reduce the need for expensive physical infrastructure.