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105-year-old shares the secret to longevity

A 105-year-old woman has celebrated her birthday by sharing her two secrets for a long, prosperous and stress-free life. Kathleen Hennings, who lives in a care home in Cheltenham, England, celebrated her 105th birthday with her family, friends and other residents, as she shared some valuable life advice. Kathleen was born in 1919 and had a successful career as an accountant, spending her free time watching operas and ballets at London’s Royal Opera House. Reflecting on her many happy years, Kathleen revealed the secret to living a long life as, “Drink Guinness and don’t marry!” The centenarian was first introduced to Guinness by her parents and her brother, and quickly fell in love with the dark Irish stout, drinking it religiously throughout her life. This is not the first time Kathleen has offered up this advice, and as a result, was treated to some gifts from Guinness as a birthday present. Kathleen was given a hamper by Guinness with pint glasses, a kitchen apron, slippers, chocolates, and, of course, plenty of the famous Irish drink. Commenting on her special birthday, Kathleen said: “It was so nice to see my lovely friends and neighbours. I’ve been spoiled. Thank you so much.” Image credits: Facebook

Retirement Life

We reviewed the health habits of centenarians. These 4 things could lead to a longer life

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zhaoli-dai-keller-1547476">Zhaoli Dai-Keller</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/perminder-sachdev-46869">Perminder Sachdev</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> The number of centenarians around the world rose from <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/">151,000 in 2000</a> to 573,000 in 2021. People are living longer, and we can expect to see more people reach 100 in the years to come. Centenarians <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/67A/4/395/623695">exemplify successful ageing</a>, often experiencing <a href="https://agmr.hapres.com/htmls/AGMR_1264_Detail.html">fewer chronic diseases</a> and maintaining independence in daily life well into their 90s. While <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12979-016-0066-z">genetics contribute</a> to longevity, modifiable factors account for more than 60% <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14624729/">of successful aging</a>. But what sort of factors specifically contribute to living to 100? To find out, we reviewed lifestyle and health habits of centenarians and near-centenarians (those aged 95–99) worldwide. Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-024-01247-4">recent review</a> included 34 observational studies published since 2000. Here are four key factors we found contribute to extreme longevity. <h2>1. A diverse diet with controlled salt intake</h2> Centenarians and near-centenarians typically had a balanced and diverse diet. We found, on average, they consumed between 57% and 65% of their energy intake from carbohydrates, 12% to 32% from protein, and 27% to 31% from fat. Their diets included staple foods (such as rice and wheat), fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich foods like poultry, fish and legumes, with moderate red meat consumption. This dietary pattern, similar to the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29852087/">Mediterranean diet</a>, is linked to lower risks of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111364">physical function impairment</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31685303/">death</a>. Most centenarians also preferred a low-salt diet. While only one study in our review measured the mean daily sodium intake, finding 1.6 grams, this was within the <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/3082#:%7E:text=A%20salt%20intake%20of%20less,much%20more%20salt%20than%20recommended">World Health Organization’s</a> recommendation of less than 2g of sodium per day (equivalent to about 5g of salt). The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20234038/">traditional Okinawan diet</a>, known for its consumption by Japanese centenarians on Okinawa Island, contains an estimated 1.1g of sodium. We found higher salt intake (those who preferred salty food or added extra salt to meals) had a 3.6-fold increased risk of physical function impairment compared to those without a preference for salt. Practically, these findings suggest we should include plenty of wholegrains, root vegetables, beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables in our diet, minimise red meat consumption and opt for lean poultry, fish, and plant-based protein, and monitor salt in our food. <h2>2. Lower medication use</h2> Centenarians are not free from chronic conditions but typically develop them much later than average adults. More than half of the people in our review experienced common issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure), dementia, or cognitive impairment. We found people in our review took an average of 4.6 medications. The most frequently used medications included blood pressure medications and drugs for heart disease. This is similar to the results of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9051563">a large health register-based study</a> in Spain, which found centenarians took an average of 4.9 medications. Non-centenarians in this study took 6.7 medications on average. The fact centenarians appear to take fewer medications may indicate better health with fewer medical conditions. However, data on medication use is often self-reported and so may not be entirely accurate, especially among those with cognitive impairment. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(24)00007-2/fulltext">Polypharmacy</a> is often defined as taking five or more medications simultaneously, and is common in older adults. Inappropriate polypharmacy is associated with <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/dangers-polypharmacy-and-case-deprescribing-older-adults">increased risks</a> of adverse events such as falls, cognitive impairment and hospitalisation, due to harmful drug interactions. While the type or number of prescribed medications may not be within a patient’s control, it’s important for doctors to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12875-017-0642-0">prescribe medications</a> only when necessary, fully inform patients about benefits and risks, and regularly review treatment plans. <h2>3. Getting good sleep</h2> Sleep quality and quantity <a href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/benefits-slumber">affect</a> the immune system, stress hormones, and cardiometabolic functions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Good <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/74/2/204/4837199">sleep</a> is associated with extended years of good health and reduced risks of chronic diseases. In our review, 68% of the centenarians were satisfied with their sleep quality. In a survey of adults’ sleep satisfaction in 13 countries in 2020, sleep satisfaction ranged from <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1233775/adults-worldwide-satisfied-sleep-country/">29% to 67%</a>. The <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/74/2/204/4837199">optimal sleep duration</a> is between seven and eight hours per night. Tips to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379">achieving better sleep</a> include keeping a regular sleep routine, creating a restful environment, exercising regularly and managing stress. <h2>4. Living environment</h2> More than 75% of the centenarians and near-centenarians in our review lived in rural areas. This is a pattern reflected in “<a href="https://www.bluezones.com/">blue zones</a>”, areas known for high concentrations of centenarians, such as Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, and Ikaria in Greece. This may be partly related to the connection between nature and health and wellbeing. For example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562165/">exposure to green space</a> has been associated with lower stress, depression, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, potentially increasing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.107785">life expectancy</a>. <h2>Other important factors</h2> We didn’t look at all lifestyle factors associated with longevity in our review. Research also shows <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S053155650700143X">not smoking</a>, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802963">avoiding alcohol</a> or drinking moderately, staying <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3618983/">physically active</a> and maintaining <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1991">social connections</a> are important for boosting a person’s chances of living to 100. Of course, adopting the lifestyle changes discussed in this article won’t guarantee you’ll reach the ripe old age of 100. And on the flip side, some centenarians have shared <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-you-should-never-take-nutrition-advice-from-a-centenarian-229159">questionable</a> health habits. But many older adults are seeking to adopt <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9092121/">healthier lifestyles</a> to prevent and manage chronic conditions, while health-care professionals are similarly recognising the value of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5638636/">lifestyle medicine</a>. The earlier you can adopt positive lifestyle changes and healthier habits, the better placed you’ll be to achieve a long and healthy life. Becoming a centenarian is a lifelong endeavour.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235100/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zhaoli-dai-keller-1547476">Zhaoli Dai-Keller</a>, Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney; Nutritional epidemiologist and Lecturer, School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/perminder-sachdev-46869">Perminder Sachdev</a>, Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-reviewed-the-health-habits-of-centenarians-these-4-things-could-lead-to-a-longer-life-235100">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Why you should never take nutrition advice from a centenarian

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bradley-elliott-1014864">Bradley Elliott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a> It’s a cliche of reporting on people who reach 100 years of age, or even 110, to ask them some variation of the question: “What did you do to live this long?” Inevitably, some interesting and unexpected answer is highlighted. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/05/briton-says-becoming-worlds-oldest-man-at-111-is-pure-luck">Fish and chips</a> every Friday. Drinking a glass of <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/worlds-oldest-man-juan-vicente-perez-dies-aged-114-13107627">strong liquor</a> every day. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/susannah-mushatt-jones-loves-bacon-2015-10">Bacon</a> for breakfast every morning. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-france-nursing-homes-795c8273f66b61669e93103cc9c25cd0">Wine and chocolate</a>. While a popular news story, this is a relatively meaningless question that doesn’t help us understand why certain people have lived so long. Let me try to explain why, via beautiful buildings, fighter pilots and statistics. In the second world war, Allied statisticians were applying their skills to minimising the number of bombers being shot down by enemy fire. By studying the damage patterns of bombers returning from action, maps could be drawn up of the most frequently damaged parts of aeroplanes so that expensive, heavy armour could be added to these areas. Simple enough, right? Then, along comes statistician Abraham Wald who argues for the exact <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2287454?origin=crossref">opposite point</a>. The planes that they’re studying are all those that did return from combat with extensive damage, but what about those that didn’t return? Wald argues that armour should be added to those places that are undamaged on all the returning planes, as any plane hit in these undamaged areas was shot down, never making it back to be surveyed. <h2>Survivorship bias</h2> This phenomenon is known as survivorship bias, or the cognitive and statistical bias introduced by only counting those that are around to count but ignoring those that haven’t “survived”. You can take these examples to the absurd. Imagine a group of 100 people, all of whom have smoked their entire life. As a group, the smokers would die earlier of cancers, lung disease or heart disease, but one or two might defy the odds and live to 100 years of age. Now imagine the intrepid journalist interviewing the lucky soul on their 100th birthday with that classic question: “What do you attribute your successful ageing to?” “Smoking a pack a day,” says the newly minted centenarian. It seems obvious but survivorship bias is everywhere in society. We can all think of that one famous actor or entrepreneur who succeeded despite adversity, who worked hard, believed in themselves and one day made it. But we never read about or hear about the countless examples of people who tried, gave it their all and never quite made it. That’s not a good media story. But this creates a bias, we primarily hear the successes, never the failures. This bias applies to our perceptions of architecture (mostly great buildings from a given period “survive”), to finances (we often hear examples of people who have succeeded in risky investments, those who fail don’t sell books or self-help plans) and to career plans (“If you work hard, and drop out of college now, you can be a successful athlete like me,” say those who have succeeded). I work with a variety of older people and often include extreme outliers who have lived to extreme ages. We’re currently studying over 65-year-olds who have maintained unusually high levels of exercise into older age and have maintained excellent health. They’re phenomenal examples of older humans, many of them are faster, fitter and stronger than me by many of the measures we perform in the lab, despite being almost twice my age. While we know that their lifelong exercise is associated with their unusually good health into older age, we can’t directly say one causes the other yet. It could be that highly active people are protected against chronic diseases such as cancers, diabetes and heart disease. But it also could be that these people are still active into older age as they’ve not been afflicted by cancers, diabetes or heart disease earlier in their lives. Conversely, there could be some unknown third factor that we’ve not yet identified about these people that both keeps them healthy and separately keeps them exercising. For clarity, there are things that scientists like me will say in carefully caveated, scientific language that will probably help you to live longer. Being very physically active, not eating too much and not smoking are all on that list, along with generally having a positive outlook in life, and of course, picking the right parents and grandparents. Correlation does not equal causation. That point is hammered home relentlessly to students in science degrees. It’s how our brain works, we see a pattern between two variables, and assume they’re linked in some way. But often, like in survivorship bias, we’re not looking at all the data, and so finding patterns where there are none.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229159/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bradley-elliott-1014864">Bradley Elliott</a>, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-you-should-never-take-nutrition-advice-from-a-centenarian-229159">original article</a>. </div>

Retirement Life

Centenarian blood tests give hints of the secrets to longevity

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-modig-1473484">Karin Modig</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Centenarians, once considered rare, have become commonplace. Indeed, they are the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/living-to-one-hundred-life-expectancy/">fastest-growing demographic group</a> of the world’s population, with numbers roughly doubling every ten years since the 1970s. How long humans can live, and what determines a long and healthy life, have been of interest for as long as we know. Plato and Aristotle discussed and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12092789/">wrote about the ageing process</a> over 2,300 years ago. The pursuit of understanding the secrets behind exceptional longevity isn’t easy, however. It involves <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7105197/">unravelling the complex interplay</a> of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors and how they interact throughout a person’s life. Now our recent study, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-00936-w">published in GeroScience</a>, has unveiled some common biomarkers, including levels of cholesterol and glucose, in people who live past 90. Nonagenarians and centenarians have long been of intense interest to scientists as they may help us understand how to live longer, and perhaps also how to age in better health. So far, studies of centenarians have often been small scale and focused on a selected group, for example, excluding centenarians who live in care homes. <h2>Huge dataset</h2> Ours is the largest study comparing biomarker profiles measured throughout life among exceptionally long-lived people and their shorter-lived peers to date. We compared the biomarker profiles of people who went on to live past the age of 100, and their shorter-lived peers, and investigated the link between the profiles and the chance of becoming a centenarian. Our research included data from 44,000 Swedes who underwent health assessments at ages 64-99 - they were a sample of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28158674/">the so-called Amoris cohort</a>. These participants were then followed through Swedish register data for up to 35 years. Of these people, 1,224, or 2.7%, lived to be 100 years old. The vast majority (85%) of the centenarians were female. Twelve blood-based biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, as well as potential malnutrition and anaemia, were included. All of these <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0719-5">have been associated</a> with ageing or mortality in previous studies. The biomarker related to inflammation was uric acid – a waste product in the body caused by the digestion of certain foods. We also looked at markers linked to metabolic status and function including total cholesterol and glucose, and ones related to liver function, such as alanine aminotransferase (Alat), aspartate aminotransferase (Asat), albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (Alp) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD). We also looked at creatinine, which is linked to kidney function, and iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), which is linked to anaemia. Finally, we also investigated albumin, a biomarker associated with nutrition. <h2>Findings</h2> We found that, on the whole, those who made it to their hundredth birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine and uric acid from their sixties onwards. Although the median values didn’t differ significantly between centenarians and non-centenarians for most biomarkers, centenarians seldom displayed extremely high or low values. For example, very few of the centenarians had a glucose level above 6.5 earlier in life, or a creatinine level above 125. For many of the biomarkers, both centenarians and non-centenarians had values outside of the range considered normal in clinical guidelines. This is probably because these guidelines are set based on a younger and healthier population. When exploring which biomarkers were linked to the likelihood of reaching 100, we found that all but two (alat and albumin) of the 12 biomarkers showed a connection to the likelihood of turning 100. This was even after accounting for age, sex and disease burden. The people in the lowest out of five groups for levels of total cholesterol and iron had a lower chance of reaching 100 years as compared to those with higher levels. Meanwhile, people with higher levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid and markers for liver function also decreased the chance of becoming a centenarian. In absolute terms, the differences were rather small for some of the biomarkers, while for others the differences were somewhat more substantial. For uric acid, for instance, the absolute difference was 2.5 percentage points. This means that people in the group with the lowest uric acid had a 4% chance of turning 100 while in the group with the highest uric acid levels only 1.5% made it to age 100. Even if the differences we discovered were overall rather small, they suggest a potential link between metabolic health, nutrition and exceptional longevity. The study, however, does not allow any conclusions about which lifestyle factors or genes are responsible for the biomarker values. However, it is reasonable to think that factors such as nutrition and alcohol intake play a role. Keeping track of your kidney and liver values, as well as glucose and uric acid as you get older, is probably not a bad idea. That said, chance probably plays a role at some point in reaching an exceptional age. But the fact that differences in biomarkers could be observed a long time before death suggests that genes and lifestyle may also play a role.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215166/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-modig-1473484">Karin Modig</a>, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/centenarian-blood-tests-give-hints-of-the-secrets-to-longevity-215166">original article</a>.

Retirement Life

Finding joy at age 100: Talking to centenarians about living their best life at any age

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/heather-joyce-nelson-1440914">Heather Joyce Nelson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-regina-3498">University of Regina</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beverlee-ziefflie-1445320">Beverlee Ziefflie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/saskatchewan-polytechnic-5681">Saskatchewan Polytechnic</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paula-mayer-1445321">Paula Mayer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/saskatchewan-polytechnic-5681">Saskatchewan Polytechnic</a> Aging is seen as a period of loss, and there are unhelpful <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/10-myths-about-aging">myths about older adults</a>. Myths lead to treatable conditions being considered normal parts of aging, including cognitive decline, dementia, depression and loneliness. Some even consider exercise dangerous in older adults. At the same time, mainstream media promotes the message that <a href="https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2017.58015">being young is central to a person’s value</a>. These ideas lead to ageism and older adults being seen as lesser. After spending time with six female centenarians in assisted living facilities, our research team — which included four nursing researchers and a documentary filmmaker — learned there is plenty still worth living for. Centenarians are a small but growing segment of the population with <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/daily-quotidien/220928/dq220928c-eng.pdf?st=LrkfjZE_">13,844 centenarians in Canada</a>, and our findings debunk myths about the experience of aging. We asked the centenarians questions about what brings them joy and how they plan for the future because we wanted to learn how the very elderly plan for and find ways to live their best lives. The results of this study were <a href="https://vimeo.com/showcase/looking-forward-at-100">turned into a 32-minute documentary</a> that captures participants’ long and interesting lives and offers insight into continued meaning experienced by centenarians in their daily lives. Three of the centenarians died shortly after the interviews took place. <h2>Long and interesting lives</h2> The participants were born between the years 1919 and 1922. They were children during the Great Depression and young adults during the Second World War. One of the women helped build bullet casings and worked on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Lancaster-airplane">Lancaster bomber</a>. Another woman helped her husband protect the blueprints of the ill-fated <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/avro-arrow">Avro Arrow aircraft</a> when he brought them home from work. Two women lost their husbands when their children were small and had to go to work to support their families. They all experienced love and adventure. Our team was fascinated by their stories and wanted to further explore what their lives look like today. Betty, 101, saw happiness as a choice. “I don’t know what’s really to complain about. I went through life staying happy,” she said. <h2>Joy and challenges</h2> This study used a research method called <a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/151684840/Braun-Clarke-2006-Using-Thematic-Analysis">thematic analysis</a> to find four themes: Finding Joy, Act your Age, Looking Forward and Putting Challenges into Perspective. The centenarians found joy each day and enjoyed the little things such as activities, visits and treats. Betty enjoyed cheating at solitaire and Jean, 100, played the piano. Clementina, 101, had fun gambling and Joyce, 100, continued to write stories and watch her grandchildren in music concerts. Family was central to their lives and they enjoyed spending time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Two of the women stated that raising their children was the biggest accomplishment in their lives. The centenarians also found great joy in reminiscing about their interesting lives. However, one of the challenges was that there was no one left alive who had the same shared experiences. <h2>Limitations</h2> The centenarians were constrained by the limitations of society, their bodies and their self-perceptions. “You have to act your age,” said Clementina. She physically described this phenomenon by clasping her hands together in her lap and sitting still. Some participants found life to be boring at 100 compared to their lives as younger adults. They had limited opportunities to do what they would like. “We had homes,” said Joyce, 100, describing how they had known better lives, which made it hard to accept the constraints of their current existence. In spite of these feelings, many of the participants continued to be busy and live life fully despite limitations. Jean, despite needing a wheelchair for mobility, continues to do people’s taxes for a volunteer organization, plays piano for church services and leads choirs within her facility. “I am constantly rebelling against my situation physically,” she said. The other women in this study also continued to challenge norms of what their age and disabilities meant. Joyce writes and submits short stories for publication, and has a poem in the war archives in Ottawa. Assisted living facilities often prioritize resident safety, but this can come at a cost to personal freedom. Some residents only leave their facility accompanied by a facility employee or a family member. Clementina rebelled against this restriction and at the age of 97, snuck out of her assisted living facility in a cab to go to the casino, pretending that she was going to meet her son. All of the participants put their life challenges into perspective. They all had lost spouses, friends and some had lost their children. “I was broken,” Clementina said about losing her husband. Christine, 102, was asked how she managed after losing her husband when her children were still small. “I am still here,” she said. <h2>The future</h2> Most of the centenarians had few plans for themselves for the future and were more interested in leading their day-to-day lives. Betty jokingly described the inevitability of her death and that she was “looking for the bucket.” Most described being prepared to die except for Jean, who laughed and said she didn’t have time to die. “I have too many plans.” The centenarians looked to the future of their families and the larger community and entrusted the next generation to make good choices. Participants in this study had long and interesting lives and continued to find meaning each day. This study supports the idea that older adults continue to lead engaging lives and that we need to support older adults to live their best lives at any age. This article was also co-authored by journalist and filmmaker Kelly-Anne Riess and retired nursing instructor Susan Page.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206852/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/heather-joyce-nelson-1440914">Heather Joyce Nelson</a>, Assistant Professor of Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-regina-3498">University of Regina</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beverlee-ziefflie-1445320">Beverlee Ziefflie</a>, Instructor, Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/saskatchewan-polytechnic-5681">Saskatchewan Polytechnic</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paula-mayer-1445321">Paula Mayer</a>, Associate Research Scientist, Nursing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/saskatchewan-polytechnic-5681">Saskatchewan Polytechnic</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/finding-joy-at-age-100-talking-to-centenarians-about-living-their-best-life-at-any-age-206852">original article</a>.

Caring

Australia's oldest man celebrates 110th birthday

Ken Weeks has lived through two world wars, the Great depression and two pandemics, but the senior remains unstoppable as he marked his 110th birthday. The father of two, who was born in Grafton in 1913, is believed to be Australia's oldest man, and having been through it all, there was only one way to celebrate his birthday - with loved ones and 300 customised cans of Heinz baked beans. The senior has been devouring baked beans for "more than 30 years", and in honour of his 110th birthday, his friends at the Whiddon aged-care facility organised a special surprise. "We reached out [to the company] and said, 'Can you provide us with a pallet of baked beans?' Because that's something he tells us has fuelled him for 100 years," Whiddon chief executive Chris Mamarelis told ABC News. "And to their credit they've gone and created this wonderful label with his face on there, so that's added this special touch to the day." The custom cans are not the only special gift as Ken also received a letter of congratulations from King Charles. "On my 100th birthday I got one from the Queen," Ken said. Ken also celebrated his birthday with his extended family, and when asked what his secret was to living a long life he simply replied: "Oh yes, I've always been active." "All his places had stairs, so he always used to climb two steps at a time and he's always been so active," his grandson Jason Weeks confirmed. The senior also lives a very clean life, according to his son Ian Weeks who said his father doesn't drink smoke and eats "just a fairly plain food." Ian also said that despite his dad being in such good shape, there are still signs of his age. "I wouldn't count on more than a year at a time," Ian said. "But he's still very fit and active, it's just that his hearing and eyesight have gone a bit." The centenarian has five grandchildren and several step-grandchildren. Images: Nine

Retirement Life

104-year-old woman becomes world's oldest skydiver

A 104-year-old Chicago woman is believed to be the oldest person in the world to tandem skydive, after jumping off a plane from 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) in northern Illinois. On Sunday the 1st of October, Dorothy Hoffner left her walker behind without hesitation and hopped on a Skyvan to set a world record. The 104-year-old could not contain her excitement as she sat on the plane. “Let’s go, let’s go, Geronimo!” she said. Hoffner first started skydiving when she was 100, and initially had to be pushed out of the aircraft, but this time around, things were different. The centenarian insisted on leading the jump while tethered to a U.S. Parachute Association-certified instructor. She was cool and confident as the plane doors opened to reveal the golden crop fields below. Hoffner fearlessly tumbled out of the plane head first and successfully did a forward roll before freefalling from 13,500 feet in the air. The dive lasted seven minutes, including the parachutes slow descent on to the ground. As soon as she landed at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, just 140 km southwest of Chicago, friends rushed in to share their congratulations. When asked how it felt to be back on land she simply replied with: “Wonderful." “But it was wonderful up there. The whole thing was delightful, wonderful, couldn’t have been better." <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQQyc9kRfio?si=3uj4x5hTPyyU6HrJ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Moments after her touchdown, the centenarian told the cheering crowd: “Age is just a number." The previous Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Swedish woman Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson. Skydive Chicago is currently working with Guinness World Records to certify Hoffner's jump as a record according to WLS-TV. Hoffner's final message for those who haven't tried it: “Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do it." Images: ABC 7 Chicago / Skydive Chicago

Retirement Life

Oldest living Aussie reveals her secrets to long life

Catherina van der Linden, the oldest living Aussie, is preparing to celebrate her 111th birthday this week, a milestone that she passes on August 26. The great-grandmother, who was born in the Netherlands in 1912, was informed that she was the oldest living person in the country last year when her family received an email on her 110th birthday. She is also believed to be the oldest known Dutch person in the world. The great-grandmother lives in Southern Cross Care's West Beach residential facility in Adelaide and credits her longevity to her active lifestyle, including multiple gym sessions and weekly walks. "Keep on moving, and don't sit still," she said. "I push myself sometimes when I'm getting a bit tired and I think it's about time to do something to yourself to see that you still have that energy that you had before," she said. The centenarian is celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and has also said that aside from a healthy lifestyle, being happy and content with what life has to offer is another factor that helped her live a long life. "I've lived a normal life," she said. "Sometimes it's not very good and sometimes it's better but you have to take the bad with the good as well and it's possible to make living a joy." The residential care's manager Catherine Willoughby also said that van der Linden was an inspiration to staff and other residents. "She's still doing regular walks around the facility, opens the exit doors and around she goes, we've actually got a couple of other new residents that have started doing the same routine," she said. "She also loves the gym. She goes to the gym two or three times a week. She loves doing her exercises." "I think it's amazing that she's 111 and the fact that she's still so mobile and still very much alert and oriented to what's happening around her." The great-grandmother first migrated to Australia with her husband and young family in 1955 and she had various jobs including a grape picker, nursing assistant and typist. Images: Southern Cross Care / ABC News

Caring

Three centenarians share their secret to longevity

Reaching 100 years old is quite an achievement, especially for anyone hitting the milestone now. Back in 1916 the average lifespan for a man was 55, the average lifespan for a woman was 59 and the likelihood of making it to 100 was one per cent. Times have changed and now we have a raft of seniors around Australia hitting triple digits. To celebrate this incredible milestone, a group of centenarians have been honoured to a special morning tea at Government House in Melbourne. In an interview with ABC Online they shared some of their secrets to longevity. Follow this advice and we reckon anyone has a chance of making it to 100 years old. Jean Hills believes family is the key to success, telling ABC Online, "[I'm] thankful that I had so many marvellous relatives. Often people say they don't have anything to do with their relatives. It was the relatives that saved me and my family during the depression and gave us the opportunity to really achieve something." Jean also adds, “Don't go near the TV.” Stasys Eimutis on the other hand attributes his longevity to his passions and insistence to cut out drinking and smoking, “I have a workshop and I'm doing many things. I'm not going to bed in the night time, [I'm] always doing something. Mostly woodwork. I make musical instruments and organise a music group and I'm still playing. I'm the leader." For Annie Bernstein however, it all comes down to hard work, "I'm getting all the pleasure now from my daughter, my granddaughter and my grandsons and my great granddaughter. "They're lovely." Images: Getty

Retirement Life

“100 is just a number”: Centenarian’s sweet solution for a long and happy life

When Shirley Goodman reached the milestone age of 100 years old, the last thing on her mind was slowing down. And the centenarian, who lives in Florida, has shared her advice for living a long and happy life - though what she had to say has taken many by surprise. Rather than stressing the importance of getting enough rest and following a strict diet, as we so often hear, Shirley believes her passion for having fun, doing what she enjoys, and eating her share of well-deserved treats to be the secret of her success. As Shirley told Today, “I feel great. 100 is just a number to me.” This is despite the two open-heart surgeries she has undergone - including a bypass, and the installation of a pacemaker and a stent. Shirley also experiences difficulties with her vision and her hearing, but nothing will keep her from embracing life and doing what she loves: dancing. “My legs are still working,” she said. “I’m an optimist. I try to do positive thinking all the time. That’s very important. I have a bracelet that says ‘Positivity’ on it. “I wear it every day and I try to stay positive.” She started dancing when she was just eight years old, even opening up her own dance school at 17. And while she did close down her business after marrying, she never gave it up, following her heart - and her dancing feet - in her free time instead. And in recent years, Shirley has taken that same passion to a whole new realm, establishing herself on the internet as ‘The Dancing Nana’. On Instagram, her family regularly share clips of Shirley dancing, and even participating in some viral internet trends, from doing ‘the floss dance’ to ‘the Tush Push’. It was the latter that propelled her to viral heights in 2019, when a clip surfaced of a then-96-year-old Shirley enjoying herself at her nephew’s wedding reception, outshining the younger guests on the dance floor with her spectacular footwork and twirls. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Dancing Nana (@the.dancing.nana)</a> </div> </blockquote> “I would advise people,” she told Today, “if they like music at all, to keep it in their lives and don’t just sit home in a rocking chair.” “I attribute [my long life] mostly to two things. One is my family,” she later added, “I have a wonderful, devoted family. “And the jazz, the music down here in Sarasota, and my tap dancing. That’s what keeps me going.” And while Shirley has dabbled in other pursuits, dancing still holds the key to her heart, as nothing else quite took with her, with the 100-year-old confessing that she “wasn’t crazy” about golf, and played tennis until she was 90. “I only walk as far as my mailbox,” she added, “which is about five minutes.” She does, however, enjoy her share of yoga. Every morning, she FaceTimes her daughter for a session, and the two spend some mindful time together from their respective homes in Florida and New York. Another thing Shirley very much enjoys is a sweet treat. And as some longevity experts admitted to Today, many who reach impressive ages like Shirley don’t often focus on their recommended share of vitamins and other ‘healthy’ snacks. “I don’t eat healthy food,” Shirley admitted. “My kids would holler at me … but when I hit 90, they stopped bothering me.” As Shirley’s 71-year-old daughter Joan added, they all just assumed Shirley was going to outlive them, but that “you would not want to write a cookbook based on her nutritional recommendations. I think the secret is to enjoy what you’re eating.” Top of Shirley’s most loved menu is “anything that’s cooked in batter”, or some chocolate and other sweets of the like. She enjoys a piece of chocolate after each of her meals, and views breakfast as the perfect opportunity for a chocolate chip cookie - however, you won’t catch her nibbling on any dark varieties, as milk chocolate with some nuts is what she prefers to reach for. And when it comes to home cooked meals with some vegetables, Shirley isn’t a fan. “I say ‘cook’ is a four letter word, so I don’t cook very much,” said. “I eat very small portions, but I eat everything and anything I like.” Images: Instagram

Caring

Man receives letter from Queen Elizabeth on the day she died

Just moments after hearing the news of Queen Elizabeth's death, a Tasmanian man received a letter from Her Majesty in the mail. Lloyd Babcock, who is just weeks away from his 100th birthday, received the honorary letter to celebrate his centenary, which was written by the Queen just before her passing. The 99-year-old said that the fact Queen Elizabeth was able to write him a personal letter so close to her death made it even more special. "She was just a wonderful person, I had complete admiration and respect for her, her whole reign," Lloyd told Today Extra. "I remember her coming to Devonport in 1954 and she's just one amazing person." Lloyd said his friends had been bragging about already getting their letter from the Queen and he had hoped he would too before she passed away. "I was very pleased to get it from Queen Elizabeth," he said. "I always said I wanted it from the Queen, not from Charles, so it was very timely." Lloyd's wife Barbara said the letter feels "very important", and said the letter would stay in their family for generations to come. Lloyd then assured he would be showcasing the letter to his friends and family at his 100th birthday party in a few weeks. Image credits: Today Extra

Retirement Life

Woman welcomes 100th great-grandchild ahead of her 100th birthday

A 99-year-old woman has celebrated her 100th birthday early, with the arrival of her 100th great-grandchild. Marguerite Koller, from Pennsylvania in the US, will be celebrating becoming a centenarian in the coming months. However, Marguerite and her family are marking the occasion early with the birth of her 100th great-grandchild, Koller William, named after her late husband. “I'm just thinking how lucky I am,” Marguerite told <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/montgomery-county-woman-100th-great-grandchild/3331133/">NBC Philadelphia</a> as she held the newest addition to the family, which also includes 11 children and 56 grandchildren. She makes the effort to be there for every baptism and graduation, her family has said in the past, and “has created an amazing legacy spanning through generations,” her granddaughter, Christine Balster, told the local news station. However, Marguerite’s large family almost didn’t happen, as she planned to join a convent and become a nun. She applied to join the local convent when she was a junior in high school, she told <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/montgomery-county-woman-100th-great-grandchild/3331133/">6 ABC</a> back in 2015, but by the early 1940s, she met William Koller, who she said “talked me out of it.” The couple then welcomed their first child in the Baby Boom after World War II, when Marguerite knew she wanted to have a large family. “I wanted to have a big family. I think it's difficult being an only child — it's lonely.” The couple went on to have 11 children over the span of almost 20 years. Their kids then had a total of 56 grandchildren, who are now the parents of 100 great-grandchildren. She has since credited that big family with keeping her active, and making her feel blessed every holiday even after her husband died in 2008. “It worked out beautifully,” she said. Image credits: Youtube - NBC Philadelphia

Family & Pets

Woman celebrates 100th birthday and becomes a Lady

A NSW woman has marked a major milestone - her 100th birthday - and received a Ladyship, all in one day. Lillian Peach celebrated her birthday at Arcare North Shore, an aged care facility in Sydney, with her family by her side. The team at Arcare hosted an outdoor high tea for Lillian and gave her an unforgettable present… a slice of pristine woodland in Aberdeenshire, Scotland! “I want to say a big thank you to Leia and the catering team for making Mum’s 100th birthday so special,” Lillian’s daughter, Sue Goldsworthy, said. “Mum and our family had the best day and the Arcare gift was very special; Lady Lillian was very thrilled.” Lady Lillian was gifted one square foot of land on a private estate in Ardallie through Established Titles, which came with a new title of Lady and a certificate confirming it. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/lady-lillian.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Lillian Peach pictured at 4AY (left) and on her wedding day (right). Images: Supplied Before she was Lady Lillian, the centenarian was a talented dressmaker who enjoyed designing and making bridal gowns. She also travelled around the country and the world and was heavily involved in charity work. She was the first person to be enrolled in Ayr State High School, in Queensland, and worked at the country radio station 4AY after her studies, which she remembers as “the best job in Ayr”. She shares six children with her husband, Thomas Peach, and has 13 grandchildren. Leia, the Lifestyle Coordinator at Arcare, said it was important to celebrate the birthdays of residents and bring people together. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/Lady-Lillian-Certificate-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1919" /> Lady Lillian Peach was given her Ladyship for her 100th birthday. Image: Supplied “We believe it is important to celebrate birthdays as they are special milestones in our residents’ lives and we enjoy seeing people come together to celebrate that,” she said. “I would like to wish Lady Lillian a Happy Birthday, we hope she enjoyed the birthday party and we look forward to celebrating with her again.” Image: Supplied

Caring

Centenarian's priceless reaction to virtual tour of childhood town

A 100-year-old grandmother has broken down in tears while exploring her hometown in Armenia through the use of a virtual reality headset. The woman, who now lives in the US, became emotional while using VR to take a tour around her hometown of Vagharshapat - something she never thought she would do again. Upon seeing the Etchmiadzin Cathedral that she used to visit as a child, she was hit by a wave of emotion and started to tear up. The woman's granddaughter, Michelle, captured the heart-warming moment and shared it on TikTok, where it racked up over three million views in just a few days. Michelle captioned the video, "Showing my 100-year-old Armenian grandma the Etchmiadzin Cathedral in virtual reality," that shows her grandmother, whom they call Nene. <div class="embed"><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2F7034663525347953967&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40shmellywelly%2Fvideo%2F7034663525347953967%3Flang%3Den%26is_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" scrolling="no" title="tiktok embed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div> <div class="embed">Nene dons the extravagant VR headset while her family members instruct her to look around, as they follow what she is seeing on their own screen.</div> Suddenly, Nene becomes emotional, as someone behind the camera asks, "Why are you crying?" "It's so beautiful," she responds, attempting to wipe away her tears with a tissue. The breathtaking Etchmiadzin Cathedral is often considered the oldest cathedral in the world, and a shrine for Armenian Christians. The comments on Michelle's video were flooded by people praising the sweet gesture, as one person said, "This is what VR should be used for." Another commenter noted, "She went from a time when televisions didn't exist to VR in her living room. Protect and love this sweet woman." Image credits: TikTok @shmellywelly

Technology

Then & now: 12 centenarians with portraits of their younger selves

Czech photographer Jan Langer created a series called “Faces of Century” where he showcased centenarians side-by-side with a portrait of their younger selves. He tried to recreate the original pose and lighting as closely as he could, so viewers can observe how the centenarians have and haven’t changed over time. These faces show people who have lived through two world wars and the rise of technology and modern life. Scroll through the gallery above to see the powerfully poignant photos. Image credit: <a href="http://www.janlanger.net/" target="_blank">Jan Langer</a>

Art

Kirk Douglas celebrates 101st birthday!

Legendary actor Kirk Douglas has celebrated his 101st birthday surrounded by friends and family at his Beverly Hills home. The Hollywood icon was joined by his wife, 98-year-old Anne Buydens, sons Joel and Michael Douglas and great-niece Kelsey Douglas for the celebrations, and while Michael’s wife Catherine-Zeta Jones couldn’t make it, she reportedly sang “Happy Birthday” to Kirk over FaceTime. Oscar-winning actor Michael took to Facebook to share some of the photos from his dad’s big day, which you can see in the gallery above, writing, “At 101, Dad is a true amazement and a great time was had by all.” Despite suffering a stroke 20 years ago, Kirk’s health has only improved, and he credits his beloved wife Anne with helping him achieve such longevity. “I was lucky enough to find my soulmate 63 years ago, and I believe our wonderful marriage and our nightly ‘golden hour’ chats have helped me survive all things,” he told <a href="http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/kirk-douglas-birthday-120092" target="_blank">Closer</a> last year. “I am always asked for advice on living a long and healthy life. I don’t have any. I do believe, however, that we have a purpose for being here. I was spared after a helicopter crash and a stroke to do more good in the world before I leave it." Image credit: Michael Douglas/Facebook.

Movies

Centenarian celebrates 100 years with newborn great-great-granddaughter

Edith Bramald and Amber Nicole Bevins are 100 years and five generations apart. Edith turned 100-years-old on September 6, a few weeks after the birth of her third great-great-granddaughter, Amber, who came into the world on August 18. Edith's daughter and Amber's great-grandmother Loraine Collingwood said her mother loved seeing the new arrival. <img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43825/1_497x280.jpg" alt="1 (31)"/> "She held her when she was only a few days old. It was lovely," she said. "It was kind of amazing to think that they were 100 years apart." Amber is the fifth generation of the family. After getting married in 1943 Edith and her husband Max had three children. There are nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, including Amber's mother Samantha Fairhurst. Collingwood said her parents met in Hamilton where Edith was a dressmaker and seamstress. "She would bike to their places, make the garments and then bike home again at night. It was a different world then." Max was enlisted in the New Zealand Army but was in Auckland Hospital for a long time with pneumonia. They moved several times before settling in Okoki in northwest Taranaki, where they had a dairy farm. They both made deliveries for the mailman and Dunbar's Store in Urenui, as far as Hutawai, near Tongaporutu, until Max retired, Collingwood said. Max passed away in 1991. Edith is mostly in bed these days but got all dressed up for her 100th birthday party at the Urenui Boat Club last Saturday, Collingwood said. "We had her in the wheelchair and she's not missing out on anything. "She just loved it." She got cards from far and wide, including the Queen, the Governor General, Winston Peters, and Peter Dunne. "There were cards from everywhere. She was a bit blown away by it all." And baby Amber's big brother Blake, 3, started a rousing chorus of "happy birthday" all by himself. Collingwood described her mother as a "lovely, placid lady". "She never complains, doesn't make any demands. "She can see and she can hear but limited in both, but she's still got a sense of humour and every so often she comes out with something." Written by Christina Persico. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Retirement Life

13 lessons we can all learn from centenarians

It’s no secret that <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/2017/06/why-you-should-watch-you-cant-ask-that/" target="_blank">we’re huge fans</a> of ABC’s powerful show <a href="http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/you-cant-ask-that/LE1517H010S00" target="_blank">You Can’t Ask That</a> here at Over60, so when they did an episode starring eight Aussie centenarians sharing their 100 years-plus of wisdom, we couldn’t wait to hear what they had to say. Here’s what they say life is like over the age of 100. On sex and love <ul> <li>“I was sexually active up until about four years ago. One’s performance gradually disappears.” – Professor David Goodall, 102.</li> <li>“I don’t agree with instant sex. If you’re too free you don’t have that longing and wanting.” – Eileen Kramer, 102.</li> <li>“My husband died in 1953 I was 37. I had too much to do to miss it [sex]. I had two children to bring up so I had no time to miss it.” – Irene O’Shea, 101.</li> <li>“I’ve only had one girl in my life. I think one is enough. One is enough at a time, anyway. I met her in a little country dance hall. She smiled. And in that smile was a Cupid’s arrow.” – Dexter Kruger, 106.</li> </ul> On loss <ul> <li>“I still grieve for my brother. I still grieve for mum and dad. And it’s [been] 40 years, so you don’t forget.” – Anne Bernstein, 100.</li> <li>“I still love my wife. I see her where she was cremated, quite regularly. I might go there and shed a few tears.” – Lindsay Boyd, 100.</li> <li>“I miss the one who made the most trouble, my first husband. My second husband never made any trouble at all. We had a very blissful nine years together and I wish he hadn’t died.” – Eileen.</li> </ul> On dying and the secret to longevity <ul> <li>“I always drank modestly.” – Professor Goodall.</li> <li>“I’ve been reported dead on four occasions ... so I know what it feels like.” – Dexter.</li> <li>“Lots of other people do it [dying], so it can’t be all that difficult.” – Alf Jarvis, 102.</li> </ul> On the “good old days” <ul> <li>“I never had any ‘good old days,’ my life was war, worry.” – Irene.</li> <li>“The ‘good old days’ are now.” – Eileen.</li> <li>“We didn’t have any money but we had a good life.” – Colin Lowcock, 100.</li> </ul> To watch the full episode for free on ABC iView, <a href="http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/you-cant-ask-that/LE1617H009S00" target="_blank">click here</a>.

4 centenarians reveal their secrets to long, happy life

We are living longer, healthier lives and more of us are knocking off a century. Bess Manson speaks to four centenarians about their long, long lives. Kath Anstey, 100 "It's no good living a long life if you're a bit doolally. There's no point if you haven't got your wits about you." Wise words from 100-year-old Kath Anstey. Her own wits well intact, Kath cuts an elegant figure as she sits in her room at KenaKena Rest Home on the Kapiti Coast. Bejewelled and made up, she has no trouble remembering the many episodes of her ten decade-long life. Her teenage years were the best, she says after some memory filtering. The parties, the boyfriends. There were plenty of both before she married. She found fun in the simple things in her younger years – sitting on the beach with her friends, going to the local dances. "I loved dancing. There were a lot of balls and dances and we would wear proper ball gowns that we had made ourselves." Kath was born on the Yorkshire coast in 1917. The eldest of seven children, her father, who had been badly gassed in the First World War, died young. Her mother ran a boarding house to make ends meet. "We slept two to a bed to keep warm. I can't begin to tell you how cold it was. When I was little my father used to go out and cut a path through the snow to let us out in the middle of winter. Then we would walk an hour to school. There were no busses in those days. They were different times." After leaving school she reluctantly dabbled in nursing but hated it so returned to help her mother run the boarding house. She married Leslie 'Johnny' Bull and moved to Surrey to live with his family when he went off to war. Bull, a pilot, went on to become one of the leaders of the Great Escape in 1944. He was captured and executed by the Gestapo along with 50 other escapees leaving the young Kath a grieving widow raising their baby son, David. She later married Kiwi pilot Ron Anstey and moved to New Zealand in 1946. Along with David she had two more children. Kath doesn't feel old. At least, she reckons she'd pass for someone in their 80s. Life isn't the same these days, though. "I don't have a circle of friends, they've all popped off. I miss being younger. But I'm perfectly happy. I'm just here with my record player, my radio. My family come to see me. "I don't think anyone thinks about getting old. They are too busy being young and from what I hear on TV, they're having a really great time. It's funny, getting old. You can't do much. It's not like it used to be when you could get your hat and coat on and get in your car and buzz off. All that is finished. So you just have to make the best of what you've got." She was driving till about six years ago. A few run ins with side mirrors put paid to that. The thing about getting older, she says, is that you just never really imagined what that would be like. "I never thought about the future when I was young. I certainly never wondered what it would be like when I got old. I have never bothered to think about age. I have just got old and that's all there is to it. I have just got on with living." She doesn't have a mobile phone or use the Internet. She can't see well enough to negotiate these devices. TV is firmly in situ, though. She well remembers when her family bought their first TV just ahead of the Queen's visit to New Zealand in 1953. Television altered everyone's lives, she says. She loves the royal family but is rather unimpressed with the tradition of getting a card from the Queen at 100 years old. "It's not personal," she says with some indignation. "She doesn't know me. She's never met me. It's a bit of nonsense." She tries not to think about death and dying but she knows where she's going. "I don't like to think of not being here but one doesn't last forever. It'll come one day and I won't know anything about it. You're just gone. It's a horrible thought. "I'm going to be buried up on a hill in Paraparaumu. I'm not going to be burnt up and chucked anywhere. I want to be buried so that if anyone has the inclination to come up with a little bunch of flowers I'll be there and they can come and talk to me. So that's where I'll be, in the back of Paraparaumu, in the sunshine." Margaret Barns, 101 "I can walk and I can talk and I can see and I can hear!" Margaret Barns, in her one hundred and second year, is living proof that 100 is the new 90. Propped up in an armchair at her serviced apartment on the Rita Angus estate in Kilbirnie, she reflects happily on a good life shaped by love and a strong faith. It never occurred to her that she might live this long, she says. The former PE teacher says her career as a physical education teacher has kept her in good nick. "I'm very fit. But I'm quite happy to sit back and relax now. Now I let people come to me." Her face, lined with more than 100 years of life, is powdered and her hair coiffed. Her two daughters potter about making tea and prodding her memory when it fails. There is astonishing clarity in that distant memory. Going back a century, Margaret tells of a childhood of security and love despite tragedy early on. Raised with her sister Shirley in Bramerton in the Wairarapa she never knew her father who died in World War I during the battle of the Somme. She was one year old when she kissed him goodbye at the docks and has no memory of him other than the ones her mother shared. Losing people you love comes with the territory when you live to be 101. And Margaret has lost more than her share of friends and family as she has edged into old age. But it was the loss of her fiancé that still smarts. Describing that first meeting with Harry at the Skyline in Wellington, she drifts back to the 1930s. "I was there with another admirer of mine when Harry came along and said, 'are you Margaret Mace?' and I said 'yes'. He said 'then I believe this is our dance.' I knew he was something special. He was the love of my life." They became engaged but all hopes of a happy life together were dashed when Harry died in Greece during the Second World War. More than 60 years on it's still a painful subject for Margaret who recites what must be a well-worn message relayed by Harry's colleagues as he lay dying. "Tell Margaret I love her." The young Margaret trained to be a physical education teacher in Christchurch. In the late 1930s she travelled solo to Sweden to study for her diploma in gymnastics. But war was nearing and in the summer of 1940 she was given passage on a boat to London. "I was on the last ship out. We had to stay in the hold of the boat and slept in hammocks - men and women altogether. We arrived at 10am and war was declared at 11." But Margaret was not out of danger. On her arrival she became unwell and was diagnosed with meningitis caught through the terrible overcrowded conditions during the journey. Administered to by Harley Street doctors she was the first patient to receive sulphur drugs to treat the disease. In 1944 she returned to New Zealand after the sudden death of her sister. "She had two young daughters. I fell in love with them and they fell in love with me so I ended up marrying their father." The marriage didn't last long but she and Arthur Barns divorced amicably and Margaret raised the children in Masterton and later Eastbourne. She taught at Wellesley College in Eastbourne for more than 30 years and recalls taking the boarders, whose parents couldn't come and fetch them, for weekend tramps mothering them as if they were her own. These days life is a little more sedate. She likes a drop of sherry with her friends and her oldest daughter who lives in an apartment in the same complex. She loves television and watches any sport going. She is mad for rugby and would love above all to meet an All Black. She believes the modern world presents a challenge to today's young. The world is in a bad state with wars in Syria and the rise of such leaders as President Donald Trump - "he may have his good points but he's a dangerous man." But he's a far away problem and he's not going to spoil lunch, where Margaret happily and independently meanders off to. Hector Hopkins, 101 Hector Hopkins is neither here nor there about his age. He's 101 and pretty glad to have made it this far. He has galloped past the family's benchmark for a long life set by his aunt who made it to 98. "I talk to myself sometimes and ask 'What am I still doing here?' I don't know why. Maybe it was all my running for the Harriers when I was a young man. I don't know when I'll go. I don't want to know. It's better that way." Cared for now in Wellington's Te Hopai Home, he is surrounded by pictures of his family. There are three children, ten grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. A photograph of him in his army uniform on the day of his wedding to Dorothy six weeks after returning from World War II sits above his bed. "I asked her to marry me a year before I went off to war so we had a five-year engagement. I remember arriving back at New Plymouth railway station in 1945 and there she was with my mother and father. It was a wonderful moment." He and Dorothy were married for 67 years until her death at 95, five years ago. A pile of empty envelopes on his desk scribbled with various lists jog his memory when the need arises. When he talks about his childhood, though, he needs no prompting. One of four siblings he was born in 1916 in New Plymouth. As children they made their own fun, he says. "We used to play with tyres - one of us would be inside the tyre while the other pushed them along the road. We would go eeling with our cousins in a stream at the back of our property. Got a six pounder once. We got it home, skinned it and my aunt cooked it up for breakfast the next morning." When World War II broke out he volunteered for the Army and was shipped out to Egypt. About war, he will not say much. "My grandson came to me years ago and asked how many Germans I'd killed. I said, 'I'm afraid soldiers don't talk about those things.' "In both wars, there was such a terrible loss of life, particularly in the Great War, men were just mown down. War is a terrible thing. Why we had them I don't know." He fears we live in unstable times now. "I hear about what happened in Manchester, what happened in London. It's very distressing." He reads all about it in the paper every day, watches the goings on of the world outside his room on his huge LED wall-hanging TV – a far cry from his first black and white set hired for an Olympic Games in the 1950s. Hector, who later became a property inspector for State Insurance in Wellington, brushes off the idea that reaching such a great age offers a different perspective on life. "I've just lived it. That's all." Madeline Anderson, 110 For most of her life, Madeline Anderson was pretty old school about revealing her age. She kept it in the vault till she turned 90 by which time she thought it was enough of a milestone to make a song and dance about. That was 20 years ago. These days she's famous for being the oldest living New Zealander. Still, she doesn't feel 110. "When I dream I am a much younger woman, I'm still only 50," she says. Madeline was born in the autumn of 1907. The eldest of four sisters and the only survivor she was born and raised in Dunedin where her father was a sheep farmer. She reflects on a happy childhood of endless games with her sisters under the shade of the macrocarpa trees. She recalls playing tennis on the court her father built at the back of the house with her friend John 'Jack' Lovelock, who went on to become the 1936 Olympic 1500m champion. At Archerfield High School her headmistress told her there was no point in going to university because she'd no doubt be married soon enough. "I wanted to be a home science teacher but I thought she was probably right." Madeline did become engaged but the romance ended before marriage. In the late 1920s she moved to Auckland where she got work in an office. The disappointment of her failed engagement paled when she met and married Harry Anderson. They raised three children, including a foster child. But her early motherhood is etched with sadness. Her son was killed at the age of seven while riding his bike. "I lost my little boy. That was dreadful. It was weeks before I could even shed a tear," she says, her eyes prickling with fresh tears recalling the tragedy that occurred more than 70 years ago. Years later her foster son died in a car accident when he was 20. Her Christian faith saw her through both tragedies. It's also shook the fear out of death. "I don't think it matters much what happens after you die. I don't fear it at all." The first World War doesn't hold many memories for Madeline but she recalls the tide of returned servicemen coming home from World War II. "Nearly all of them were mentally damaged. The war had affected their peace of mind." The first manned mission to land on the Moon in 1969 was a memorable enough event but she is more excited about what we are discovering about space now. Technology is pretty miraculous, she says. She remembers well when the family got their first telephone. The housekeeper was frightened by it and made five-year-old Madeline stand on a chair to answer its ring. "It's a real revelation that now you can ask your telephone when World War I began and it can tell you. Being able to talk to someone in Australia and see them at the same time in a Skype conversation - technology has changed everything." Not long ago she was able to use a computer and her iPad. But failing eyes mean she's reduced to talking books. Over more than a century of life Madeline has gained some perspective on the world and has come to the conclusion it's in a pretty poor state. "We're not learning from our experiences of the past, the wars we have fought. I don't think we'll ever learn how to stop fighting. My recipe for living is simple: Live in harmonious surroundings, don't get into quarrels, love one another. That should be the foundation of our lives." Written by Bess Mason. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

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This Italian village of centenarians holds the secret to a long life

The secret to a long life may just lie in a small Italian village known for its fishing, olive groves and rolling hills. Scientist have spent the last six months researching why this one Italian village on the banks of the Mediterranean boast so many centenarians. In fact, in the village of Acciaroli celebrating a milestone 100th birthday is commonplace with one in 10 of the 700 residents expected to live to reach 100 years of age. So what did the team from Rome’s Sapienza University and the San Diego School of Medicine discover? The key to longevity is simple – a healthy Mediterranean diet with plenty of rosemary for good measure. The study found that elderly people in the village have unusually good blood circulation, which helps to feed nutrients to the body and efficiently take away waste products through the capillaries. Analysing the blood samples from more than 80 elderly people, the scientist also discovered that villagers had remarkably low levels of a hormone called adrenomedullin, more commonly seen in people aged in their 20s or 30s. Although scientists have pinpointed the exact reasons, they believe a combination of a healthy diet based on vegetables, herbs and fish, combined with lots of exercise and genetic factors has developed over centuries. <img width="481" height="353" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/09/04/12/00684A5F00000258-3773109-image-a-1_1472989200818.jpg" alt="Locals typically eat a Mediterranean diet based on olive oil, vegetables, fish and a fresh fruit" class="blkBorder img-share" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-db52072c31518918"/> The elderly people in the region exercise on a regular basis, and eat plenty of olive oil, locally-caught fish and home-reared rabbits and chickens. They also add lots of local herbs to meals, particularly rosemary, which is believed to help keep the brain functioning. Quite amazingly, the residents of Acciaroli not only live long lifes, but they seem immune from age-related diseases such as dementia, heart disease and other chronic conditions. It was in the Cilento peninsula that the American scientist Ancel Keys first identified the health benefits of what came to be known as the Mediterranean Diet, based on a diet of olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables and fish. Related links: <a href="/entertainment/music/2016/08/can-music-help-us-fall-asleep/">Can music help us fall asleep?</a> <a href="/health/mind/2016/08/stop-your-mind-racing-at-night/">How to stop your mind from racing in the middle of the night</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/shocking-effect-of-a-bad-nights-sleep/">The shocking effect a bad night’s sleep can have</a>

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