Research shows society needs to update its perception of older people

Retirees of today are living more active, healthy and dynamic lifestyles than ever before and are switched on culturally and technologically, yet many feel excluded.

In a comprehensive study – The New Ageing Index 2024 – undertaken by home care company, Home Instead, 35 per cent of respondents believe that being old is like being cancelled. This rises to 43 per cent of women over 75, and frequently leads to a sense of isolation and loneliness.

Despite being the fastest growing cohort in society, 60 per cent of older people feel ignored by fashion brands and 59 per cent by high street brands, while 44 per cent said they would love to wear more fashionable clothes if they were marketed to them. They also feel culturally excluded, with more than half feeling that tv, cinema and music is rarely, if ever, aimed at them.

While 89 per cent of over 75s believe staying active is important, 58 per cent feel they are not encouraged to play sport.

Martin Jones, Home Instead CEO, says society needs to update the perception of older adults: “The image we may have of retirees whose horizons have shrunk to just a bit of daytime TV and a cup of tea simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. We urgently need to challenge how older people are both perceived and treated in this country.

“Traditional stereotypes have become completely outdated. Older people can make a huge contribution and it’s clear from our research that they want to embrace life and be catered for at every level.

“The fact that so many of these people say they feel like they’re being cancelled is extremely concerning. It should be a wake up call for businesses to provide better and more innovative services and opportunities for older consumers and older employees - and those that don’t heed it are missing out on potentially enormous revenue streams.”

The report showed that while many older people are reconciled to the idea ageing, they are keen to remain youthful and open-minded about how to best do that. Forty seven per cent are open to taking medication to slow the effects of ageing and 89 per cent of over-75s want to stay active. Sixty six per cent believe diet and exercise will slow ageing.

Interestingly the research shows that the older we get, the less anxious we are about ageing as old age starts to feel more like a reward than a punishment.

The lust for life continues as 42 per cent of the over-75s said they would be happy to start dating if they found themselves alone and 61 per cent said they want to stay sexually active.

Home Instead surveyed more than 1,000 people across all ages and classes – including a detailed examination of the experience of the country’s volunteer carers – to get an insight into what it means to age in Britain in 2024 and to see how ageing is perceived more widely.

HCM and Spa Business are interested to find out how readers are catering to this cohort. If you’d like to talk about successful interventions for older adults please email [email protected].

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