Another reason for living to be a 100

Advances in medical science have extended not only human life spans, but virility during the course of those longer lives.

That fact has been accompanied by a growing body of research into the sexuality of people who have passed what is to be considered retirement age. Now, a new Australian study shows that both sexual activity and a desire for sex remain a consideration for men who are approaching the century mark.
"Although many people, including some doctors, believe that sexuality isn't important to older people, our study shows that this is not the case. Even in the tenth decade of life, 1 in 5 men still considered sex important," said study researcher Zoe Hyde, a doctoral researcher with the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing at the University of Western Australia. "However, some common medical problems are barriers to older people remaining sexually active," Hyde said.
The Australian study comes after studies in the United States and Sweden have shown that many or most people in their 70s lead active sex lives, and have found high levels of sexual satisfaction among this group, sometimes even exceeding that of their younger years.

The new study looked at nearly 2,800 men between the ages of 75 and 95. While sexual activity and the desire for sex was lower than in studies of younger adults, it remained significant. Nearly a third of the men surveyed had had sex in the past year, and just under half considered sex to be "at least somewhat important."
Of those who were still sexually active, more than forty percent wished to have more, but were blocked, often by their own health problems or their partners' problems, including conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, prostate cancer or other physical limitations.
Men who wish to be sexually active late in life can take some preventative steps in their younger years, Hyde said.
"Chronic disease, such as diabetes, appears to be the main reason that older men cease being sexually active," she told MyHealthNewsDaily. "If men want to remain sexually active as they age, the best thing they can do is get sufficient physical activity, eat a healthy and nutritious diet and stop smoking."
Hyde said the study has also highlighted other things that may help people who are older stay sexually active if they wish.
"It was interesting that testosterone levels were still associated with sexual activity, after we controlled for medical problems and social factors," she said. "This suggests that testosterone deficiency could possibly cause problems for some men, so this is an area that clinical trials of testosterone therapy should look at."

Testosterone therapy has been advocated to stop age-related decline in men, but it remains controversial because of a lack of data on its risks and benefits.
"It would be premature to suggest testosterone therapy to improve sexual interest and activity at this stage," Hyde said. "We need further studies to properly explore the risks of therapy as well as the possible benefits."
The study did hold some caveats. The authors noted that the men in the study lived in the community, and may not represent the population of men in that age range as a whole, some of whom live in assisted-living facilities.
But researchers also noted that some men might have been reluctant to be more honest in their responses because "sexuality can be a sensitive topic."
Judith Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty member of Columbia University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry, said the new study is not surprising in light of research from other countries.
"Men who are over 75 are not over the hill anymore," Kuriansky said.
Because there are more women than men who live to that age, "They, I'm sure, have lots of partners to choose from," she said, adding that "with all these medications that are available, they can still perform longer."

Senior playgrounds idea catches on

You might recall that sometime last year I posted on a senior playground which opened in Blackley, Manchester in 2008, while similar playgrounds are already proving popular in Europe and China. Well, last week one opened in Hyde Park in London. There is an excellent article describing this on the Age UK website.

Nick Smurthwaite did a review and went with members of his family.

Public sector urged to tap experience of older workers

Excellent article in the Guardian by Jo Adetunji pointing out amongst other things that around £31bn could be saved annually if the proportion of 50- to 69-year-olds in work increased by 0.25%. She also discusses how to make the most of the experience of older workers and how they will not necessarily be taking up posts that could be filled by younger people. Most of the over 60's that I know want flexible working and less paid work which enables them to follow other passions or provide caring when required.

Over 60s using assets to make most of retirement

A fifth (17%) of over 50s have little money left over to enjoy their retirement once they have paid off their debts and more than two fifths (41%) of retirees find clearing their debts difficult, highlighting how hard it is for many people to fund their dream retirement, according to a new study from Saga Equity Release. However, an increasing number of over 60s are now using equity release to unlock money so they can enjoy a better quality of life in retirement.

With more than one in ten (13%) over 55s retiring in debt, equity release is being used to clear these and alleviate financial worries, leaving people better off in real terms and free to get on with enjoying their retirement.  The research shows that two fifths (40%) of this age group have used equity release to clear borrowing, whilst a third (31%) use it to re-mortgage.

Over half of over 60s (52%) use equity release to carry out home improvements and transform their homes, while a third (34%) fund the holiday of a lifetime. A generous 20% give the money as a gift to family.

Men do not grow into being Mr Meldrew!

Well - not all of us anyway!

Researchers asked groups of 19 to 31-year-olds and 61 to 80-year-olds to view a series of photographs while analysing their brains’ activity.

Some of the images were of happy moments, such as a victorious skier, while others conveyed darker themes such as a wounded soldier.

The subjects were then asked to remember as many of the pictures as they could.

By studying their brain scans, the research team from the University of Auckland found that the old and young processed the happy images differently.

They found that in older people, there were stronger connections between regions of the brain that process emotions and those known to be important for forming memories. The trend was particularly strong for processing positive information.

Among the younger group, the link was found to be much weaker.

Meanwhile, ageing was found not to affect the connectivity between regions during memory formation of the negative photographs.

The results suggest that older people are much more likely to remember happy moments than their younger counterparts, the journal Cortex report.

I have already told my wife about this research but she is not totally convinced!

Women want to work well into their 60's

Have a look at an article by Emma Soames published in todays Daily Mail in which she gives examples of many women still working and wanting to work well into their 60's. Again her case studies concur with what all the research is telling us which is namely that most of us want to continue with some kind of paid work and not just because we need the extra money.

The happiest years?

This is the fascinating graph reported by

German and American scientists who analysed the results of a long-term British survey in which more than 21,000 men and women were regularly asked how happy they were with their lives.

They replied on a scale of one to seven, with one meaning they were not satisfied at all and seven indicating complete satisfaction.

Life satisfaction was rated about 5.5 when the subjects were in their late teens, on average.

This gradually dropped to about five when they turned 40. appiness hovered around this mark for the next few years, before taking an upturn around the age of 46.

And through their fifties and sixties they became more upbeat, with satisfaction peaking at a rating of 5.9 around 74. After that it drops off as more people become affected by health problems.

 

The researchers said it was possible that people become more appreciative of what they have as they get older. They may find a desire to make the most of their remaining years, they added.

Writing in the journal Social Indicators Research, they said: 'This awareness of impending mortality may lead older individuals to focus on ways to make their remaining experiences as enjoyable as possible.

'Compared to younger individuals, older people tend to place a greater emphasis on emotional aspects of social interactions and are likely to remember the emotional content of their experiences.'

But this happiness scale appears to be a peculiarly British phenomenon, the researchers from the German Institute for Economic Research found.

When they carried out a similar analysis of German men and women, they found that levels of satisfaction remained relatively stable throughout life.

The British figures chime with recent claims that the mid-life crisis is a thing of the past.

Improvements in healthcare, education and life expectancy mean 'wobbles' around the age of 40 are now less likely, psychologists claimed last month.

By that time, most will have married, bought a home and chosen a career. With those difficult decisions behind us, we are free to start enjoying life and learn from our mistakes.

Does all this chime true for you?

Do I really want to be taught how to put my slippers on!

Warwickshire County Council is offering a service allowing “older people” to bring in their old slippers and replace them with a pair, which it claims can cut the risk of falling over.

For a fee of £5, participants receive a fitting session, a new pair of the Velcro fastening slippers, and advice on how to don them and avoid accidents around the home.

However, critics have dismissed the so-called Sloppy Slippers project, which is costing taxpayers £3,500, as a waste of money and "patronising" to people in their 50s and 60s.

The council claims that the initiative, which has been adopted by other local authorites, will save money in the long run because it prevents costly injuries to elderly people.

Seriously, it is estimated that around 20 to 30 per cent of falls among the elderly can be prevented. Badly fitting slippers are said to significantly increase the risk of suffering a fall which can lead to disability or death.

The new slippers are safer because they have non-slip soles, better support and a Velcro fastening to ensure a snug and tailored fit, makers Natureform claim.

But slipper coaching at 50!!

Portfolio Careers

Just to remind you that the new book that I wrote with Katie Ledger on Portfolio Careers is out this Thursday. Also to remind you that research done on this topic states that the 2 age groups most interested in this topic are the under 25's and the over 60's. Look at our new website on this to learn more. www.portfoliocareers.net

Most Babies Born Today Will Live 100 Years, Scientists Say

Most babies born in rich countries this century will eventually make it to their 100th birthday, new research says. Danish experts say that since the 20th century, people in developed countries are living about three decades longer than in the past. Surprisingly, the trend shows little sign of slowing down.

In an article published Friday in the medical journal Lancet, the researchers write that the process of aging may be "modifiable."

James Vaupel of the Max Planck Institute in Germany and colleagues in Denmark examined studies published globally in 2004-2005 on numerous issues related to aging. They found life expectancy is increasing steadily in most countries, even beyond the limits of what scientists first thought possible. In Japan, for instance, which has the world's longest life expectancy, more than half of the country's 80-year-old women are expected to live to 90.

"Improvements in health care are leading to ever slowing rates of aging, challenging the idea that there is a fixed ceiling to human longevity," said David Gems, an aging expert at University College London. Gems was not connected to the research, and is studying drugs that can lengthen the life span of mice, which may one day have applications for people.

"Laboratory studies of mice, including our own, demonstrate that if you slow aging even just a little, it has a strong protective effect," he said. "A pill that slowed aging could provide protection against the whole gamut of aging-related diseases."

While illnesses affecting the elderly like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are rising, advances in medical treatment are also making it possible for them to remain active for longer. The obesity epidemic, however, may complicate matters. Extra weight makes people more susceptible to diseases and may increase their risk of dying.

In the U.S., data from 1982 to 2000 showed a major drop in illness and disability among the elderly, though that has now begun to reverse, probably linked to the rise in obesity.

The graying population will slowly radically transform society, and retirement ages may soon be pushed back, said Richard Suzman, an aging expert at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

"We are within five to 10 years of a watershed event where there will be more people on earth over 65 than there under five," he said. "Those extra years need to be financed somehow and we need to start thinking about it now."

80 is the new 60!

The Academy of Medical Sciences has just published a report on ageing. It reveals that far from having lonely, decrepit existences, assailed by memory loss and physical infirmity, vast numbers of the elderly in the UK are living long, healthy, productive lives.

The stereotypical image of a nation in which rising numbers of pensioners are being kept alive by modern medicine – but are crippled by arthritis, heart disease and Alzheimer's, and live huddled and defenceless in old people's homes – is simply not true. "Healthy life expectancy is increasing at least as quickly as life expectancy," states the report.

Large numbers of elderly people are living healthy, happy and productive lives. "No one wants to live an extra 10 years if they have to spend them in a nursing home," said the head of the working group, Professor Linda Partridge, of University College London. "But that is not what is happening at present. People are living longer. At the same time, they also are living healthier, more productive lives."

This point is backed by a surprising body of statistics, she added. For example, it is known that the people of Britain are getting older and older, a trend which suggests a far higher proportion of the general population should now be living in old people's homes today than in the past. "But this is not the case," added Partridge. "The proportion is just the same as it was several decades ago." In other words, although there are more 80-year-olds today, the percentage affected by disability – requiring them to live in homes – is far lower than it was last century.

In fact, this improvement in disability has been surprisingly emphatic, according to gerontologist Professor Kay-Tee Khaw of Cambridge University, a member of the working group. "If you compare national surveys carried out between 1970 and 1990, you see the number of 85-year-olds who are disabled halved between 1971 and 1990."

In fact, medical interventions and lifestyle changes have both played crucial roles in bringing healthy old age to so many. Drugs that counter high blood pressure and cardiac complaints have produced startling reductions in deaths from heart disease, for example. Since the 1990s cardiac mortalities have dropped by 40% as a result.

At the same time, lifestyle changes are also making an impact: those who stop drinking excessively or smoking or who take exercise and eat lots of fruit and vegetables not only live longer but have less chance of suffering physical or mental disability in later life, added Khaw. "The association is clear."

This connection between factors such as diet and loss of mental function may seem unlikely but it is real, added Tallis. "Alzheimer's has a speedier, more pronounced progress on those who also suffer from cerebral vascular problems - and such conditions are associated with unhealthy lifestyles."

The result is emphatic, said Partridge. "Today's 60-year-olds have the lifestyles that 40-year-olds had a century ago. More importantly, we are now shaping up to a future in which 80-year-olds will live as 60-year-olds do today."

We emphasise this in our book so it is great to see up to date research making the same points.

Mum and Dad on gap year

1 in 5 parents aged over 50 have gate crashed their children on a gap year. For the over 65's that rises to 48%! The research was conducted by the Post Office after a rise in travel insurance requests for single trip long haul holidays from its older customers. The demand has been so great that the Post Office has introduced a special policy for year round multi trip cover for the over 65's. Is there no way that our kids can get away from us?

Track down old pensions

Do you have a pension that you have forgotten about? Sounds strange but sometimes people have had relatively short term jobs where they have contributed to a pension scheme and then forgotten about it. There is a free service operated by the Department for Work and Pensions, which is expert at tracking down old pensions, thanks to its extensive database of occupational pension providers. It also tracks down personal pension providers, too. Pension Tracing Service.

People ‘get happier as they age

....according to a review of the available studies on emotions and ageing. Dr Laura Carstensen, a psychology professor at Stanford University found that mental well-being generally improved with age, except for people with dementia-related ill health.

She asked volunteers ranging in age from 18 to mid-90s to take part in various experiments and keep diaries of their emotional state.

She found the older people were far less likely than the younger to experience persistent negative moods and were more resilient to hearing personal criticism.

They were also much better at controlling and balancing their emotions - a skill that appeared to improve the older they became. It would appear that older people are increasingly aware that the time they have left in life is growing shorter.

“They want to make the best of it so they avoid engaging in situations that will make them unhappy.

“They have also had more time to learn and understand the intentions of others which helps them to avoid these stressful situations.”

This photo amused me - that's all..

Can't we celebrate living longer?

This is the title of an excellent article by John Appleby in the Guardian. He is commenting on the latest US Census Bureau's analysis of future world population projections. They are making some very scary predictions as to the consequences for all countries , including developing ones, of the demographic time bomb. The US Bureau says that people aged over 65 will soon outnumber children aged under five for the first time in history. John comments that this sounds oddly ominous, in a rather non-specific way. "In fact, the number of over-65-year-olds in England, for example, have outweighed the number of under-fives for some time – this year by nearly three to one. Has anyone noticed what a burden or problem this has been?" Read it to pick up the rest of the predictions and his less alarmist reactions to them.

Retirement age up to 70!

This is one of options available to the G'ment - whatever its hue - according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research. The influential think-tank reckons there are only three possible ways to plug the giant hole in the public finances: extend the retirement age to 70, hike the basic rate of income tax by about 15p , or slash public spending by about 10% . Either way, we'd all be feeling the pain for a long time to come...

Like most economists, NIESR reckons the Chancellor was wildly optimistic when he forecast a contraction of 3.5% this year (with a recovery in the later months). It is predicting a slide of 4.3%, which would be the economy's worst showing since 1931, during the Great Depression. It's also suggesting that unemployment won't peak until 2011, at about 3.1m (nearly 10% of the workforce); that wages will grow below the rate of inflation until 2012; and that consumer spending will keep declining until 2011. Oh, and it thinks quantitative easing is a waste of time.
As a result, it says, drastic action is required. Rather than extending the retirement age to 68 by 2046, as per the current plan, the NIESR thinks we need to extend it to 70 between 2013 (after the peak in unemployment) and 2023 - every extra year worked would reduce the deficit by 1% of GDP, it claims. However, even then we'd need to push up income tax by 8p in the pound - and without the extension, the hike would need to be more like 15p in the pound. The only other alternative is savage public spending cuts, which could mean less money for schools, hospitals and other vital services. This report by the way came out as the G'ment launched its £5 billion identity card scheme .....

New booklet for over 60's

The Government has published a new booklet for those over 60 which pulls together all the help that is available to them in one place.

The 40-page booklet Real Help Now for over 60 provides information on everything from claiming Pension Credit, to getting help with fuel bills, and information on free IT courses that are available for people in that age group.

The booklet is available at: www.realhelpnow.gov.uk

It includes information on:

• Help with pensions and benefits
• Help with fuel bills
• Help with savings and managing your money
• Help for those on a low income
• Help with money problems
• Help with keeping your home
• Help with skills and learning
• Help with jobs

More self employment for the 50+'s in US

In our book we quote the increase in self employment for the over 50's and over 60's so it is with interest that I found an article describing the same phenomon in the US. Sadly of course we know that one of the reasons is the difficulty in getting a new job after 50 but also the research suggests that our age group are less interested in traditional jobs.

Looking at self-employment rates by age groups in November of 2007 to May of 2009,the numbers don’t suggest a big rise in entrepreneurship among young people. Self-employment rates rose among people aged 16 to 19, but were constant among those 20 to 24.

On the other hand, self-employment has risen dramatically among older people from November 2007 through May 2009. This rate has risen from 15.6 to 17.3 percent.

While the self-employment rate has been higher among people 65 and older for a while, the gap between the self-employment rate for the 65-plus age group and the next highest group (55 to 64) has grown.

Staying involved and in touch ....

In a recent report 'Social Networking for Seniors' in the New York Times, Carla Winn suggests that one-third of Americans age 75 and over live alone and are increasingly turning to online social networks like Facebook and My Space for their social contacts. The article quotes Joseph Couglin director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as saying, “One of the greatest challenges or losses that we face as older adults, frankly, is not about our health, but it’s actually about our social network deteriorating on us, because our friends get sick, our spouse passes away, friends pass away, or we move. The new future of old age is about staying in society, staying in the workplace and staying very connected. And technology is going to be a very big part of that, because the new reality is, increasingly, a virtual reality. It provides a way to make new connections, new friends and new senses of purpose.”
Posted by Mike Scally at 09:35
Labels: technology