This is what upsets some received ideas about old age. According to a survey carried out for the second Age Observatory (an observatory that brings together Harmonie Mutuelle, France Inter and Le Monde), 88% of people over 70 who live at home are happy. A figure which is also positive for seniors who reside in retirement homes or nursing homes (accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people) since 77% say they are mostly happy.
Even if, according to the United Nations, it is not in France thatwe age in the best conditions, the French feel well integrated into social life and well surrounded. This is the case for 88% over 70 years living at home, a figure that rises to 93% for seniors living in nursing homes or retirement homes. No doubt the price of better health, but also the consequence of taking better account of their needs.
One in 2 seniors is satisfied with their loneliness
Asked about loneliness, the elderly still challenge some received ideas because more than one in two people say they appreciate this isolation and do not experience it as a problem. Indeed, this solitude gives them the opportunity to organize themselves as they see fit, according to their own schedules (75%).
However, a minority nevertheless feels a sense of loneliness and abandonment from public services (17%). To remedy this, they would like better accessibility to health services (29%), cultural and leisure activities (26%) or even shops (23%).
As the baby boom generation ages, the French population ages. Thus, 17.5% of the population is now over 65 and in 2060, one in three people will be over 60.
