Britons at 90: healthier, wiser, more independent – but it helps if you’re rich

As the Queen celebrates her birthday, she joins a growing number of people living – and thriving – in very old age. So what makes a happy nonagenarian?

10 ways to beat loneliness

People of all ages are discovering new and old ways to connect – from co-housing schemes to friendship apps and chicken care…

I’m glad my mum and dad died before they got too old

My parents died in their early 70s. I miss them every day but it’s a relief to know that they avoided the suffering that can come with late old age

Why book clubs help you live longer

Being a member of a reading group may extend your life, according to a new study. Great – but which books should you read?

What a US company could teach the NHS about an ageing population

British GPs take note – medical centres in Florida are ditching the one-size-fits-all model and specialising in elderly care, reducing hospital time while saving money

‘No one looks at the whole of me,’ my mum says. How the NHS is breaking apart

Her local hospital was once state of the art, but now it creaks, with over-full wards and over-worked staff

Your friends are having kids, and you’re lonely. Could a friendship app help?

Britain is a nation full of loneliness. We use the internet to buy food, track our periods and get dates, so why not use it to find new mates?

The John Lewis ad trains a telescope on the scourge of loneliness

This Christmas tearjerker highlights how fragmented our society has become. Is it time for a national scheme to counter this misery?

Loneliness is not a private matter

In our market society, isolation is the price people pay for being on a low income, and having lots of face-to-face contact is a new form of privilege

Loneliness is dangerous: ignore it at your peril

A radio station helped a 95-year-old caller who was lonely but most people have to deal with it themselves or face health-related consequences, including premature death

Mindfulness? I’d rather live life to the full

With its emphasis on personal detachment, mindfulness is nothing but therapy for our narcissistic time and a toxic endorsement of the selfie culture

Tai chi can help older patients with disabling conditions – study

GPs should prescribe sessions of Chinese exercises, study says, after finding it helps patients with breathing problems, osteoarthritis and heart disease