UK’s elderly need better help to enjoy their lives

Developers need to ensure that housing and neighbourhoods are better designed to help a growing number of centenarians live for as long as possible in the community, a British report says.

Projections suggest a 12-fold increase in the number of centenarians over the next 30 years.

Other estimates say at least half a million people will be in this age group by 2066, according to the study Living Beyond 100 from the International Longevity Centre-UK.

Over a quarter of children born in the UK today and around one-fifth of younger people under 20 years old can expect to celebrate their 100th birthday.

The report adds that developers should plan for a growing population of centenarians to allow them group to live as long as possible in the community.

Centenarians should be helped to maintain social activities, and there should be steps taken to ensure they have access to the internet.

Energy companies should also ensure that their oldest customers gain access to the best deals, possibly through the creation of tariffs for households headed by the oldest and centenarians, the report adds.

“Centenarians currently compromise a small proportion of the UK population – equivalent to around one in every 5,000 persons, and the small size of the current population may be used by some as justification for overlooking their needs” it says.