London - Some say life begins at 40. And more cynical observers would argue that the onset of grouchiness follows soon after.
But, happily, it would seem this is not the case. Grumpy old age now begins at 80, according to an official assessment published last week.
It found that the happiest people are retired and in their late sixties or seventies. But for many people aged 80 and over, declining health, bereavement and loneliness undercut their everyday levels of worth and happiness.
The findings thrown up by official happiness surveys suggest that the traditional retirement age of 65 is no longer the point at which people should be considered old and vulnerable.
Longer lives and better health mean many enjoy 15 golden years of contentment after 65 before they start to feel the difficulties of ageing.
The report, from the Office for National Statistics, also said the number of people over 80 is expected to double to more than six million over the next two decades. And by 2037 the number of centenarians is expected to be well above the 100 000 mark.
Among people in their earlier retirement years, from 65 to 79, only 3.2 percent said their lives were not worthwhile and 6.9 percent said they were unhappy. But the figures rose to 6.2 percent and 8.7 percent among over-80s.
At the other end of the scale, the 42.9 percent of those in their sixties and seventies who say their lives are very worthwhile drop to 36.9 percent among over-80s, and the rate at which people say they are very happy goes down from 43.7 percent among 65-70s to 38.2 percent among over-80s.
The ONS said people over 80 report being lonelier than younger people, with nearly a third revealing they were very lonely.
It warned that “loneliness is going to be more of a problem over time”.
Living alone was one reason for loneliness among over-80s, with nearly one in three over-65s widowed. Divorce was another factor.
Since the 1970s, mean numbers of older divorcees have been rising and 8.7 percent of over-65s are now divorced.
The ONS also said that over-80s are likely to be unhappy and lonely if they live in social housing provided by a council or housing association rather then in privately-rented accommodation or their own home. It said there is a need “to minimise some of the impact of risk factors of loneliness, particularly bereavement, poor health and housing tenure”.
Janet Morrison, of the Independent Age charity, said: “This research suggests a worrying degree of loneliness among older people but also demonstrates that we may be able to learn a lot from their resilience.
“One in ten over-75-year-olds has no close friend, compared to just two percent of 18-24-year-olds. Yet the report suggests older people reporting higher levels of happiness and satisfaction than youngsters.
“This generation may have something to teach us all about finding ways of enjoying life that do not rely solely on frequency of social interaction.”
Daily Mail