Press Release

Help the Aged response to ONS figures on the number of centenarians in England and Wales

29 September, 2008

Responding to new figures on the number of centenarians in England and Wales released today by the Office for National Statistics, Pamela Holmes, Head of Healthy Ageing at Help the Aged, says:

“The improvements in both standards of living and medical care over the last 100 years have been staggering. This is reflected in the 9,300 people now living into their second century. However, we need to take notice not only of how much longer we are living, but also the quality of that extra life.

“The evidence shows that we are now seeing quality of life in our later years falling behind life expectancy, but this need not be the case. By making healthy choices in mid life, we can greatly improve our chance of living longer and better. Educating people in the importance of eating well, exercising and stopping smoking can make real improvements years down the line.

“The Government must also start thinking how society is going to adapt to an older population. How we design our housing stock, streets and transport will have a huge impact on how well we live in our older age, both now and in years to come.”