For Happiness read Inverness! The city's a hoot to grow old in says survey
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THE Highland capital wears the crown for later years contentment, with older residents in the city the happiest in the UK.
So says a new survey from leading care home provider Sanctuary Care.
Inverness came Number 1 in the UK Top10 cities for old age happiness.
The other nine in descending order of contentment are -
Worcester, Peterborough, Sunderland, Birmingham, Hull, Coventry, Southampton, St Albans, and York.
With two in five older Scots surveyed (40per cent) saying their later years have been the happiest of their lives, the poll has uncovered the nation’s secrets to living later life with a smile.
Aside from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the research reveals that older age happiness is rooted in a sense of self and community.
For over half (59 per cent) of people in Scotland aged over 60, socialising is key.
A further 63per cent say having a purpose increases their wellbeing, while two-thirds (63 per cent) need to feel secure in their home.
While getting outdoors (83 per cent) and laughter (73 per cent) are also encouraged, Scotland’s over 60s shared guidance on what to avoid for happiness in later life, citing arguments (62 per cent), working too much (43 per cent) and politics (17 per cent).
Digging further into the drivers of happiness, Sanctuary Care’s recent academic Enriching Lives research found that people need to achieve “six senses” to feel their lives are fulfilled - including security, belonging, continuity, purpose, achievement, and significance.
Looking at the UK population as a whole, those in their early 80s report being the happiest, with 52 per cent saying later life has been the best time of their lives.
Those within this “golden era” quote that many of the six senses are key including having hobbies (68 per cent), continuing old passions (51 per cent) and feeling they have a purpose (51 per cent).
When asked what advice they’d give to those worried about getting older, respondents were keen to share their pearls of wisdom:
“Maintain and nurture your loving and friendly connections.”
“Make new friends wherever possible.”
“Refuse to take offence - it'll hurt you more than them.”
“Make sure you have things lined up before you retire, such as charity work or spending time on hobbies, with family. Boredom is the enemy of happiness.”
“Keep a pet, encourage wildlife, grow plants. Be positive.”
“Follow your instincts, be true to yourself, be considerate of others.”
“Try and stay positive. If you have an off day, there is always tomorrow which will be better, and the sun will shine.”
“Remember your achievements but look to the future.”
“Treat every day as an opportunity to learn something new.”
“Do the things that make you happy regardless of what other people may think.”
“Don't worry about things that you can't change.”
Shedding light on the survey findings, Sir Muir Gray, former chief knowledge officer to the NHS, author of Increase your Brainability—and Reduce your Risk of Dementia, and director of The Optimal Ageing Programme said: “With the busyness of our day-to-day routines, we tend to take certain aspects of life for granted in our younger years, such as our meaningful interactions with friends and family, feeling we are contributing to the wellbeing of others and having a sense of purpose.
“As we live longer, people often focus feelings of unhappiness on factors such as a reduced income without realising that they may be missing some of these underlying aspects that have fuelled the happiness in their lives for so long.
“Many studies have shown the importance of purpose or 'ikigai' a Japanese concept which means a 'reason for being'.
"As the research has highlighted, reconnecting with these influences can make a significant difference to our quality of life. If we can all strive towards opportunities for achievement and purpose as we grow older, we can embrace an enriched and happy later life.”
Sarah Clarke Kuehn, Sanctuary Care director who is leading the Enriching Lives Programme says: “It’s wonderful to hear so many older people expressing strong feelings of happiness in later life.
"The results show that this isn’t achieved by simply maintaining the status quo, but that factors such as developing new relationships and passions and finding a renewed sense of purpose are essential as we grow older.
“At Sanctuary Care we are dedicated to enriching the lives of all our residents and are using our recent research to better understand what it is that helps each individual in our homes to live their life with a smile and to support them in reaching these goals.”
