Growing old

Health, rather than money, worries most older people

Health rather than money is the issue worrying people most about old age, a poll for the BBC News website suggests.

Asked to name their top concern about getting old, 55% of people asked by ICM said health, compared with 20% who said money and 9% who said loneliness.

People felt the most positive aspect of ageing was having more time for family.

This morning, Breakfast debated the poll's findings

We went to a tea-dance to find out what elderly people themselves think of growing old.

We talked to the Editor of Saga Magazine, Emma Soames - and the Guardian columnist Michele Hanson

And, we heard from the boxer Henry Cooper, who fronts the government's winter flu campaign.

He told us that you have to think young to stay young. And, even now, he says, playing golf keeps him fit.

You can find full details of the survey by following the links on the right hand side of this story.

The poll of 1,009 adults found that 64% of those questioned wanted to retire before they were 60 and just 6% wanted to stay on past 65.

This is despite recent warnings that the pensions shortfall may mean we have to work until we are 70 and the fact that the state pension age for both men and women will be 65 by 2020.

Cooper: think young to stay young

The poll was commissioned as part of a BBC News website series of features on the UK's ageing future.

When asked what they felt most worried about, young people aged 18-24 were the only group significantly concerned about an issue other than health - 36% said money was their top worry.

Money worries diminished as the age of those questioned rose - only 12% of 55-64 year olds said it was their top concern.

A similar number (10%) of this age group said having too much time on their hands was their number one worry.

Among the 65+ age group, health was still top with 57% worried about it, but this age group was equally worried about money and loneliness, both of which scored 12%.

full details of BBC News online's opinion poll