Why do older people feel excluded or even cancelled nowadays?
Many older people say they now feel excluded and marginalised in countless aspects of daily life. This leads to an increased sense of isolation and loneliness according to new research.
This is the disturbing conclusion of one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind ever undertaken: The New Ageing Index, 2024, from Home Instead, the UK’s largest private provider of home care.
The project was an attempt to discover what older age in 2024 really looks like.

What do people think when they reflect on the prospect of their later years? How do the people who are already into older age feel? And what about people who find themselves looking after older people?
The groundbreaking research answers many of these questions – with new insights that often debunk popular perceptions around age.
Older People Feel Excluded
Over a third of all respondents (35%) believe being old is like being cancelled. This rises to nearly half (43%) for older women (over 75s). And rises further to 46% for some of the youngest respondents (18-34 yo men). Almost a third (32%) of older men (over 75s) believe this to be the case.
Older people (currently the fastest growing cohort in society) feel ignored by fashion brands (60%) and high street brands (59%).
They also feel culturally excluded, saying they sense that new TV & cinema (57%) and music (66%) is rarely, if ever, aimed at them. Being excluded in this way directly leads to a sense of isolation and loneliness according to 66% of all respondents. This rises to 73% for the oldest cohort (over 75s).

And not catering to older people is clearly a missed opportunity for retailers (particularly for high street fashion brands). The research reveals that many older people are desperate for more recognition. Nearly half (44%) saying they would love to wear more fashionable clothing if it was marketed at them.
Stereotypes Of Older People Are Outdated
Martin Jones, Home Instead CEO, said: “We urgently need to challenge how we perceive and treat older people here.
“Traditional stereotypes have become completely outdated. Older people can make a huge contribution and it’s clear from our research that they want to embrace life.
“The fact that so many of these people say they feel like society has cancelled them is extremely concerning.
“And it should be a wakeup call for businesses to provide better and more innovative services and opportunities for older consumers and older employees – and those that don’t heed it are missing out on potentially enormous revenue streams.
“The image we may have of retirees whose horizons have shrunk to just a bit of daytime TV and a cup of tea simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

“While there is much positivity, the research does also highlight the wider negative impact of our ageing population on family carers. This is an under pressure group who deserve much more help.”
The research also shows the retirees of today are living more active, healthy and dynamic lifestyles than ever before. They are culturally and technologically aware to a degree that completely contradicts the way society perceives them.
Staying Healthy
Some 66% of all respondents endorse diet and exercise as a means to stay youthful, and this rises to 76% among those who care for an older loved one.
There’s also a widespread belief in the power of medical science to assist with the consequences of ageing: some 54% believe that both lifespan and healthspan will significantly improve over the next decade, rising to 67% among the oldest surveyed. (over 75s)
Staying Active
There is a picture of a continuing appetite for life – perhaps most noticeably on the issue of staying active as you get older, with an average 85% of all UK adults agreeing, rising to an amazing 89% among over-75s.
But there is also frustration. An average 58% agree that older people are not welcome to play sport.
What We Fear Most As We Age
Independence in later life is a priority for many: people are more concerned about the prospect of ending up in a care home (44% ) than they would be about the death of a partner (36% ). And this care home fear increases with age steeply as people get to the age where it becomes more likely to happen: 60% for 66-74s and 58% for 75s-plus.

And 80% say that if they were to become ill then they would prefer to be treated at home. This rises to 86% and 91% among the oldest cohorts. Similarly 54% of all UK adults feel care should be home-based.
Then there are the specific conditions that people are afraid of – with a big three emerging in the form of Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia and cancer.
Time For Radical Change
The current system of social care is out of favour: 52% say they would not trust it to look after them or their loved ones and 51% find it difficult to navigate. This impression of systemic failure appears so entrenched that as many as 39% remain determined to try and oversee any future family care needs themselves rather than seeking help.
There is some qualified optimism that the impending general election may see a new government sweep to power and take action on widely held social care concerns – or alternatively it may prompt the existing government to do more.
Over half (58%) believe the issue of caring for an ageing population is simply too important for politicians to deal with. Instead there is considerable support (58%) for putting the whole sector in the hands of a body of experts to make it work better.
The vast majority (83%) believe there should be an allowance to help families look after elderly relatives.
Attitudes To Ageing
There is openness to medical innovation to slow the effects of ageing, in the form of taking approved new medications, again particularly among carers where 60% are potentially open to this against 47% of all UK adults.
The study also found that perceived potential enjoyment of old age and retirement actually increases with age

And anxiety about the ageing process also declines as age increases. A majority of those in middle age – 51% for 35-54s, 53% for 55-65 – say they would like to slow down the ageing process – but this dips to 43% for the next age group, 66-74 year-olds.
Tech Can Help Older People Connect
We also see an openness to tech as a solution to issues thrown up by an ageing population – including a receptiveness among older people themselves.
There’s a huge appetite to make technology easier to use for older people with 77% of those surveyed agreeing this needs to happen. This rises to 91% for the oldest cohort. There’s also a strong belief that technology can transform how we care for people at home. Innovations like AI can even combat loneliness.
Home Instead surveyed over 2,000 people across all ages and classes – including a detailed examination of the experience of the country’s volunteer carers – to attain an insight into what it means to age in Britain in 2024.