Interesting post from Lenny Bernstein at Washington Post today on Centenarian Insights:
So you want to live to 100? Some might say be careful what you wish for. But this data, culled from two recent reports, shows fairly high quality of life for the country’s 55,000 centenarians, a population that is expected to grow rapidly.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of 100-year-olds (81 percent) are women. Also not surprisingly, most are widowed.
Source: U.S. Census
A big chunk of centenarians (43 percent) never finished high school. A plurality of Baby Boomers (34 percent) did.
Source: U.S. Census
The health insurance company United Healthcare recently surveyed 104 centenarians (and 302 Boomers ages 65 and older) to probe a little more deeply. The small sample of 100-year-0lds is less than ideal, but there’s some interesting info here. For example, only 3 percent said they were lonely, sad or burdened.
They remember their 30s most fondly …
Source: United Healthcare
Feel like they’re only 83 …
Would most like to have dinner with President Obama. ( Boomers name Betty White !?!) …
Source: United Healthcare
And, remarkably, don’t have daily caregivers.
They’ve heard of Facebook and Twitter, but not Pinterest:
Feel they’ve accomplished what they wanted to.
Source: United Healthcare
And attribute their longevity to staying close to family and friends:
