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Merseyside retirees behaving
like teenagers
RETIREES from across Merseyside have
been involved in a national research study aimed at busting myths and negative
stereotypes around retirement.
The UK's leading retirement housebuilder, McCarthy and Stone, which has a
development in Southport, commissioned The Colour Report earlier this year,
asking locals to visit their nearest development to take part.
The findings of the study have been unveiled and reveal that pensioners don't
believe old age starts until their mid to late 70s, feel up to 20 years younger
than their biological age, and consider living life to the full more important
than leaving an inheritance for their children.
Fiona Brooks, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for McCarthy and Stone,
comments:- "We commissioned The Colour Report to bust the myths around
retirement and to highlight the shifting attitudes and growing independence of
today's retirees. We want to encourage society to move away from stereotypical
views about chronological age.
Retirees today are starting to rewrite the definition of growing old. They
experienced the birth of the information age and at every life stage have fought
to challenge the norm; it's futile to expect them to change now just because
they're classed as pensioners. From buying clothes from the same shops as their
grandchildren, to listening to the same music and using social media to keep in
touch, this is the most colourful generation of retirees the nation has ever
seen!"
Researchers delved into three key retirement age demographics; 65 to 70, 70 to 74 and
75+; to demonstrate that age is just a number. The report uncovers that older
generations shop in the same shops as their grandchildren, (21% at Primark, 14%
at H&M and TopShop), listen to the same music (35% listen to pop music, rock
music is number one for a quarter of respondents and R&B is top of the pops for
15%), and watch the same TV channels (47% watch BBC Three, 27% E4, and almost 1
in 20 had a TV subscription service). 10% have attended a live gig in the past
year and 4% have rocked out at a music festival, proving that no matter the age,
the older generation still feel the beat.
Today's retirees are also socially savvy; almost all own a Smartphone, and 59%
a tablet. The majority use apps such as YouTube, Skype and Facebook; 15% said
they listen and download music using iTunes; and almost one in 10 regularly
message friends and family using WhatsApp.
With retirement seen as the start of the next phase of their life, retirees are
reassessing who they choose to spend it with. Almost ˝ are divorced or
separated (47%), and nearly 19% of pensioners have joined an online dating
service, with 33% of 65 to 69s and 70 to 74s and 24% of those aged 75+, saying that
they had been successful and met someone special.
59% of people aged 65 to 74 remain sexually active with nearly 1 in 5 people
aged 75+ still having sex. 94% strongly disagreed that you no longer have sex
once retired and more than a quarter having just as much as they did when they
were younger.
And looks remain important with 70% saying their appearance still matters to
them and 22% going on a diet in the past 12 months. The 5:2 diet and joining a
slimming club were the most common ways to stay in shape, whilst exercise is
also key; 83% said they spend more, or about the same time, exercising since
retiring.
What's more, 1 in 10 65-74 year olds undertake more than 10 hours of exercise
a week; 4 times that recommended by the NHS. This drops to a still admirable
4% amongst the over 75s. Indeed, 28% of all over 75s are a member of a gym or
sports club.
Retirees also said they were making the most of their twilight years by
fulfilling lifelong dreams and ambitions. Their list of things to tick off over
the next few years included going on a round the world trip (19%), writing a
book (12%), learning to dance (6%) and getting a degree (4%).
Dr. Patricia O'Neill, from the University of Oxford, provided a foreword to the
report and concludes:- "Those who are nearing, or at, the traditional
"retirement age" do not want to disappear into the background or be isolated
from the community at large. These people are interested in all aspects of life.
They want to participate in it. Moreover, they still have a lot to offer. Either
get on board with them, or get out of the way. They have paved the way in the
past and will continue to pioneer the future."
The Colour Report is available to
download now.
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