How to stay healthy at 100 years of age

Key points:

• Researchers assessed a national sample size of 18,311 people over the age of 100 in China to determine whether they were ‘successfully ageing’

• ‘Successful ageing’ was determined by five key criteria

• Australia’s oldest person, Catherina van der Linden, recently turned 111 years of age on August 26, 2023

Researchers in China have revealed that people who lived to be 100 years old had vastly different quality of life circumstances, following a national assessment of 18,311 centenarians.

The study sought to uncover whether people who had lived for a century were ‘successfully ageing,’ using five criteria for what constituted success:

• Absence of any major chronic disease
• No reported disability
• No cognitive impairment
• No depressive symptoms
• Satisfaction with life

The study found that 5.7 percent of all observed centenarians in China fulfilled all five criteria and 1.3 failed to meet each of the five SA indicators. Interestingly, those over the age of 100 were three times more likely to successfully age than their counterparts without timely access to medical care.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, highlighted that Chinese centenarians who were considered to be successfully ageing were more likely to have a spouse, exercise regularly and be aware of, along with able to, address medical issues.

Australia’s oldest woman, Catherina van der Linden, recently revealed her key to successful ageing amidst her 111th birthday celebrations on August 26, 2023 at the Southern Cross Care West Beach Residential facility.

“I push myself sometimes when I’m getting a bit tired and I think it’s about time to do something to yourself to see that you still have that energy that you had before,” Mrs van der Linden said.

“I still go on the bike, sometimes for 10 minutes and that is a long time to spend on the bike.”

Comments made by Catherina’s family reflected each category of successful ageing used in the study. Mrs van der Linden’s oldest daughter, Mariella Hocking, said her mother stayed active, independent and optimistic.

“She really does like exercising and she likes walking — I’m really pleased about it, I’m really chuffed that she still likes to do that,” Ms Hocking explained.

“Mum was always a person who would say, ‘Yes, we can do that or at least we can try to do it, we’ll find a way.’ A classic example is the opening of the exit doors at West Beach Residential, which are quite heavy. Mum opens those herself to go outside.

“Mum has a very positive approach to life and a belief in herself […] she has never been [a] defeatist.”

Aside from one relative, an aunt, who lived to be 110 — Ms Hocking said most people in the family lived to be 60 – 70 years, making Catherina’s longevity an outlier.

“There’s a freaky gene there somewhere in the family I think,” she said.

What do you think? Is there something to the science or could Catherina be keeping the fountain of youth from the rest of us? Let the team at Talking Aged Care know your top tips to getting from one year to the next.