Staying active as you get older

The World Health Organisation has found that to age healthily we need to have opportunities to live and do the things we value and cherish because this improves our wellbeing in older age.
The World Health Organisation has found that to age healthily we need to have opportunities to live and do the things we value and cherish because this improves our wellbeing in older age.
It’s just thirteen more cooking, decorating, planning and shopping days to Christmas, for those of you who celebrate it. And while Christmas might look a bit different this year – we’re looking for board games to play over Zoom, for example – life still goes on.
It’s National Longevity Week this week (9-13 November) and it’s made me focus on a perennial problem; why are so few truly innovative products, services and business models designed to meet the needs of older people?
The Healthy Ageing Challenge is now open for business and our Trailblazers competitions are now underway to deliver on the plan announced last month. This is a huge milestone – which we have only achieved thanks to the tremendous support received through our research and market engagement.
We’re living longer than ever before. A lot longer.
A baby boy born in 1916 in England could have expected to live to about 58; a baby boy born in 2016 can expect to see his 90th birthday. The massive increases in life expectancy we’ve seen in recent years have major implications for all areas of public life – and provide a huge opportunity for businesses and social enterprises.
The Government has set out an ambitious mission for the Ageing Society Grand Challenge: for people to enjoy five more years of healthy, independent living by 2035 while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and the poorest. The challenge needs to have the ambition to make a positive impact on the lives of millions of people within the next decade.
It’s well publicised that our society benefits from advances in healthcare and, as a result, we’re living longer. In the UK today, there are 10 million people who can expect to live to 100 years. Yet, retailers appear to secretly …