Life Begins At 60: No Work Only Leisure, Say Senior Citizens

With an aim on ageing positively, senior citizens want to explore new career options, chase their dreams and indulge in philanthropic activities, according to the Positive Ageing Report by Columbia Pacific Communities. Shunning the old approach, the rapid advent of technology has led to a positive view amongst people towards ageing, including the traditional approach towards retirement, the Positive Ageing Report conducted by Columbia Pacific Communities revealed.

To mark the World Senior Citizen's Day 2021 on August 21, conversations with over 2,000 people aged more than 18 years were conducted for India's maiden report on senior individuals. These people belong from the five Indian cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune and give an essential perception of the changing ambitions, needs of senior citizens, and their outlook on ageing in the 21st century compared to the young generation, The Indian Express reported.

Mohit Nirula, chief executive officer, Columbia Pacific Communities, said, "Our idea of 'positive ageing' is not insistent — we are giving our own definition or idea of 'ageing'. We aim to understand other group's perceptions of the same, what does it mean, how it will shape their expectations and decision making, and how we can help in supporting them."

Life Starts After 60: Best Years Of Life

More than 40 per cent of people aged above 60 years believe that "life begins at 60; no work, only leisure, these are the best years, after all". In addition, nearly 31 per cent of them think that it is possible only after retirement that they would have all the time and the wisdom to fulfil their dreams.

Reportedly, people aged above 60 currently consist of 8 per cent of the Indian population. However, the elderly population will almost double to over 319 million by 2050. Thus, this calls for an extra focus on reimagining existing infrastructure and services to support positive ageing and better senior care for the older population, The Indian Express reported.

"Our main aim is to create greater peace of mind for the elders through various activities where they can invest their time and energies on things they are interested in rather than those that are forced upon them. In order to understand what really motivates them, we conducted this research," Nirula added.

Ahead Of Millennials And Gen-Z

As per the report, over 25 per cent of respondents over 60 identify themselves with their own ambitions and interests compared to 22 per cent of millennials, 18 per cent of Gen-X and 23 per cent of people aged between 46 and 60.

Interestingly, women outnumber men in believing that their passions and interests reflect their identity, with thirty per cent of women agreeing to the same, compared to 23 per cent of men. Only 19 per cent of women identify themselves with their careers compared to 31 per cent of men who believe their careers shape their individuality.

With the advent of technology, many elders have signed up on various social media platforms that allow them to connect virtually. Reportedly, 36 per cent of women aged above 60 spend over four hours daily on social media, which is surprisingly greater than millennial and Gen Z men and more than double of millennial and Gen Z women.

Considering health as an important parameter, it has been found that 71 per cent of older generations are conscious about their diet compared to millennials and Gen Z, which account for only 58 per cent. Moreover, 79 per cent of them consider daily exercise important as health and well-being have been significant parts of Indian culture in the form of yoga and Ayurveda, attention to health holds special relevance for people aged over 60.

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