50+'s still into romance and sex

As Valentines approaches the over 50’s are reporting higher levels of satisfaction with their health and relationships than their younger counterparts, according to Saga Health.  However despite agreeing on the state of their health, the old adage that men are from Mars and Women are from Venus is still going strong, with Men twice as likely to admit dissatisfaction with their sex lives as women (21% versus 12% for women).    

Despite their sex lives being a point of contention, it does not appear to directly correlate to peoples overall satisfaction with their relationship.  In fact  84% of over 50s are confident that they think they will be with their partner forever. 

Saga panellists were asked to compare their sex life today with their sex life in their 20s and 30s. While 85% said sex was less frequent now, 82% said there was less pressure to have sex and 61% said it was more fulfilling. 68% of respondents disagreed with the statement ‘It is more boring’. In fact almost half (42%) of sexually active Saga panellists have sex at least once a week, with a further quarter saying fortnightly.
When asked how satisfied people were with other aspects in their lives, it was clear from the results that with age, comes happiness, confidence and contentment. Over 50s in general are much happier with the way they look, their relationship and their overall health compared to the younger generations. Almost three fifths of over 50s are satisfied or completely satisfied with their health, compare to only a third of under 50s. And when looking at life overall, 79% of over 50s are satisfied or completely satisfied, compared to just over half of under 50s (57%)

Your real age?

In our book we strongly suggest that you to to the Real Age website to compare your actual age with your 'real age' based on your lifestyle. I was presently surprised when I did it. I was reminded of this when seeing a Daily Mail article recently which offered a similar self assessment. You are asked to assess your brain, skin, muscles, eye, ears, lungs, teeth, heart and liver and then you get a reading. Not sure of the science behind this but it was educational to do it. The Real Age one is still the best test around.

Older drivers safest in icy weather

Another plus of being 50+!


Insurance claims by over 50s drivers are actually DOWN 17% this December, compared with the same time last year, Saga Motor Insurance can reveal.
It seems that older motorists are heeding the warnings to stay off the roads in bad weather.  As AA statistics show that motorists in general are making twice as many claims as normal due to the bad weather, this must be younger drivers, because Saga's experience shows that older motorists are having fewer accidents this year.
Saga Director-General Ros Altmann commented: "It is really encouraging that older motorists are using their experience and planning around the bad weather to ensure they are not out on the roads in the ice and snow."

Quarter of over 50s 'cheat on their partner'

In addition a sixth of them never use contraception when embarking on a new relationship, the highest of any age group, found the poll.

One in three 51 to 55-year-olds said they had "slept around" and had an unprotected one-night stand, while one in four admitted to having more than one ongoing sexual relationship.

The poll of 3,000 people, commissioned by The Co-operative Pharmacy, found that today's young people are less promiscuous than their elders were at the same age.

A fifth of teenagers over 16 delayed having their first sexual encounter until the legal age of consent, the survey found, compared to only one in 20 of those now aged 20 or older.
Lisa McCreesh, a pharmacist for The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: "Our research challenges the belief that teenagers are more promiscuous than older generations.
"They unfairly get a bad name, while those in their fifties, who grew up in the sixties and seventies, are living up to the era’s care free image as they take greater risks with their sexual health."
Natika Halil, director of information at FPA, the sexual health charity, said: "The message is the same for teenagers as well as people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s – don’t take a risk with your sexual health over the festive period. There is only one protection against most STIs – wearing a condom."

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."

Watch out for those croissants and toast...

Josephine Forbes of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute conducted a study on how many common foods – toast and croissants included-can produce chemicals now suspected of fast-tracking ageing and chronic disease.
Named Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), these chemicals turn up in foods ranging from hash browns to cola drinks and coffee.
Forbes and researchers overseas have suggested that too many AGEs building up in the body can contribute to heart disease and diabetes – and the wrinkling and pigmentation that goes with ageing skin.
The foods producing the most AGEs tend to be processed foods high in sugar or fat, especially animal fat, that are then grilled, baked or fried at high temperatures, often until they’re crispy and golden, said Forbes.
“The more a food has sugar added to it and the more it’s processed, the more AGEs it usually produces. Baked, crunchy breakfast cereals and toasted mueslis also produce AGEs, but raw oats and porridge are fine,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying.
It seems that once you start mucking around with food the more AGEs it produces – there aren’t many foods in their natural state that produce AGEs,” she added.
We can accumulate too many AGEs in two ways. One is from some foods; the other is when blood sugar levels are too high, as with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Although research into AGEs’ effects is still in the early stages, studies have suggested they can harm the immune system and contribute to hardened arteries and problems with kidney function.
They can age skin by attacking collagen and promote arthritis by damaging the joints.

And 'yes' I did have croissants for breakfast this morning!

Is this the end of ageing? How we can hold back the years?

This is the title of a wide ranging article in the Mail online by Alice Smellie who discusses the ongoing research by the Institute of Ageing at Newcastle University and recent studies by the Universities of Durham and Oxford. Read it!

Nearly one in ten pensioners still have a mortgage

Some owe hundreds of thousands of pounds, and have no option but to remortgage.

Also instead of enjoying retirement, many pensioners are having to continue working in order to cover the cost of their mortgage

A survey of 6,000 Britons for Saga found that 8.6 per cent of over-65s have a mortgage.

A separate report, from the economic research group Policis, suggests the problem will get worse. It found that 53 per cent of over-50s with a mortgage have a loan which stretches past their 65th birthday.  Nearly two-thirds said they ‘intend to borrow into retirement to support their financial plans for later life’.

The problems of grandparent carers

200,000 family and friends carers, raising around 300,000 children in the UK, who would cost an estimated £12 billion each year if they were in the care system, are largely unrecognised by local and national government – and are set to be hit hard by welfare reform and spending cuts, according to a new report from charity Grandparents Plus.

Campaigners are concerned that the cuts will undermine grandparents’ ability to care resulting in more children ending up in the care system, at great cost to the tax payer.

‘What if we said no?’ is based on a new survey of over 250 family and friends carers, most of whom are grandparents, launched on 28 October) as part of a national lobby day where over 200 grandparent carers and their grandchildren from across the country head to Westminster to call for greater recognition and respect for the ‘forgotten army’ of carers. 

The survey reveals the challenges facing grandparent carers, including:

• Two thirds have a household income of under £300 a week
• 7% don’t receive any kind of benefit or allowance for looking after a child – not even child benefit
• 4 out of 10 (41%) are raising a child alone
• Over half (57%) gave up work or reduced their hours to take on care of a child. 
• 88% of the carers are under 65, half of them are under 55.
• 6 out of 10 have a chronic health condition or a disability

The report shows that children living in family and friends care are a particularly vulnerable group, having experienced parental alcohol or drug misuse, abuse, neglect or domestic violence, or the long-term illness of a parent.  Grandparents Plus has also found that 4 out of 10 of these children have difficulties at schools such as making friends and some experience bullying.

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus said:
“We share the Government’s vision for the Big Society.  And grandparents are at the forefront of it because society is built on the family.  But here are grandparents doing the right thing, picking up the pieces in times of crisis and all too often they take a financial hit and their health suffers as a result.”
“Our research shows that before they take on this caring role they are like any other grandparents.  But then a family crisis means they have to step in. It could happen to anyone.”
Campaigners are concerned that the cuts will undermine grandparents’ ability to care resulting in more children ending up in the care system, at great cost to the tax payer.

‘What if we said no?’ is based on a new survey of over 250 family and friends carers, most of whom are grandparents, launches today, (Thursday 28 October) as part of a national lobby day where over 200 grandparent carers and their grandchildren from across the country head to Westminster to call for greater recognition and respect for the ‘forgotten army’ of carers.  A separate event organised by The Poverty and Truth Commission is also taking place at the Scottish Parliament.

The survey reveals the challenges facing grandparent carers, including:

• Two thirds have a household income of under £300 a week
• 7% don’t receive any kind of benefit or allowance for looking after a child – not even child benefit
• 4 out of 10 (41%) are raising a child alone
• Over half (57%) gave up work or reduced their hours to take on care of a child. 
• 88% of the carers are under 65, half of them are under 55.
• 6 out of 10 have a chronic health condition or a disability

The report shows that children living in family and friends care are a particularly vulnerable group, having experienced parental alcohol or drug misuse, abuse, neglect or domestic violence, or the long-term illness of a parent.  Grandparents Plus has also found that 4 out of 10 of these children have difficulties at schools such as making friends and some experience bullying.

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus said:
“We share the Government’s vision for the Big Society.  And grandparents are at the forefront of it because society is built on the family.  But here are grandparents doing the right thing, picking up the pieces in times of crisis and all too often they take a financial hit and their health suffers as a result.”
“Our research shows that before they take on this caring role they are like any other grandparents.  But then a family crisis means they have to step in. It could happen to anyone.”

Campaigners fear that the combined impact of welfare reform and cuts to local authority children’s services will hit grandparent carers particularly hard.  1 in 3 receive an allowance from their local authority but as this support is discretionary it is particularly vulnerable to spending cuts.  Cuts will also mean the loss of key support for the carers and the children they care for.
Campaigners are making a number of calls, including:

• Recognition for the vital role they play in looking after vulnerable children and keeping them out of the care system. As a minimum they deserve to be counted - we need official data on the number of families in this situation

• Protection from the impact of welfare reform and cuts to local authority children's services, which may hit family and friends carers and the children they are looking after (i.e. those who are outside the care system) particularly hard. 

Sam Smethers added:
“Making these families poorer will push some to breaking point and could result in more children going into the care system.  It could also discourage potential family and friends carers from coming forward to care. This would be neither good for children nor cost-effective.  We know this Government values the role of grandparents in family life and also wants to tackle the crisis in our care system, not add to it, so we urge ministers to consider ways in which they can protect these families from the adverse impact of benefit changes and spending cuts.”

Lynn Chesterman, Chief Executive of the Grandparents Association who are partners in the lobby day, said:
“There is no question that family and friends carers play a vital role in looking after vulnerable children and keeping them out of the care system.  But we are seriously concerned that because this group remains largely invisible, they will be overlooked when decisions about welfare reform and spending cuts are made.  This could lead to grandparents carers being unintentionally disadvantaged in what is already a very difficult economic climate for them.”

Jim Newell, a grandparent carer from Canterbury will be travelling to London for the lobby day.  He said:
 “My wife and I are the sole carers for our three grandchildren and when they initially came to live with us four years ago, I continued to work full-time.  Eventually I had to give up my job; it was far too stressful working and taking care of the children who were all under 3 at the time.
“I believe more needs to be done to recognise the important role grandparents play in caring for their children.  As it currently stands, we get little financial support and already live on a shoestring.  It is frightening to think what the implications of the spending cuts and welfare reforms might be.  I’m sure it’ll hit many grandparent carer families hard.”

The survey also reveals that:

• Almost half (48%) of family and friends carers are looking after a child with special needs or a disability

• 3 out of 10 (30%) are also caring for an elderly or disabled partner, relative or friend.

• 4 out of 10 have looked after the child/children for more than 5 years.

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, a national charity that provides advice to family and friends carers said:
“These carers are doing exactly what the government wants to encourage in the Big Society, namely stepping forward and putting the needs of vulnerable children above their own.   However, the impact of the proposed benefit changes and spending cuts will be to drive many into greater poverty and spiralling debt, with placements breaking down and children entering care after all.  There are specific things that Government could to do prevent this tragedy such as exempting family and friends carers from the proposed total cap on welfare benefits, as is proposed for families caring for disabled children.”

Why women live longer than men

Women live longer than men because their bodies are better at repairing themselves. In an article in November's Scientific American, Professor Tom Kirkwood of Newcastle University argues that women have to be better at fixing the wear and tear on their cells in order to have healthy offspring.
In interviews last week, Kirkwood said that it made biological sense for men to be more disposable and therefore die younger. The body is disposable, argues Kirkwood, because the genes are passed to the next generation.
"This theory is widely accepted now," Kirkwood says. "Ageing is not driven by a clock."
Having said that it is useful to remind oneself that the longevity gap between the sexes is narrowing.  A women's life expectancy has actually been closing in this country and is now 4.2 years (a narrowing from six years over the past 27 years). A boy born today lives to an average 77.7 years, compared with a girl, who would be expected to reach 81.9. The differential is thought to be due to higher rates of heart disease and risk-taking in men; oestrogens have protected women from heart disease.