This report makes the case for a systematic look at how we live in an ageing society, to create models of living and working fit for the future.

Key findings

• There’s a big gap between the focus of current ageing innovations and what older people actually want
• Our report shows the following factors matter most to older people (and these are the outcomes that innovations should aim to achieve):
• To have a sense of purpose – feeling useful and valued as an employee, volunteer, mentor, entrepreneur, employer, hobbyist or source of advice with a cup of tea
• To have a sense of well-being – living as well as possible with health conditions, being physically active and emotionally resilient
• To feel at home, independent and connected to others – wherever we’re living

With life expectancies increasing by five hours a day and Baby Boomers entering their later years, our assumptions about ageing and who is 'old' are fundamentally challenged.

We need to innovate to enable us to adapt to an ageing population. That includes reimagining our social institutions and creating new ways for people to help one another to enable all of us to age better.

This report sets out Nesta’s thoughts on the impact of ageing on society and what that means in terms of innovation. It makes the case for a systematic look at how we live in the context of changing demographics, with a priority on the issues which have most impact on older people's lives.

Author

Halima Khan