Ask a teenager to describe a pensioner and the response is likely to be predictable, but far removed from reality.  People still assume that today’s over 50s prefer to be tending their dahlias, when in fact they are just as likely to be jetting off on adventure holidays.

Negative stereotypes of older people permeate all areas of society.  Older people are under-represented on television, mocked by the advertising industry and largely ignored by businesses, which tend to aim their products and services at the youth market.

But beyond the stereotypes there is no such thing as a typical older person.  The older population is changing rapidly and it is also the most diverse section of society, containing both the richest and the poorest people.

There are already more people over 60 than under 16 and they are living longer and healthier lives than every before. They shape society in a variety of ways – as community leaders, carers, grandparents, volunteers, workers, business leaders, entrepreneurs and consumers.
Companies and advertisers are foolish to overlook them.  It doesn’t make common sense or business sense. The over 50s now hold 80 per cent of the national wealth and they contribute more than £200 billion to the economy every year.

Increasingly, good health and longevity enable older people to contribute to society through valuable unpaid work. They are often the glue of their communities, keeping alive local institutions that people need and take for granted.  They also provide vital support across generations.  Changing family structures mean that more and more older  people play an increasingly important role as carers.  Each week a quarter of families with children under 15 rely on a grandparent to provide childcare.
Traditionally being a grandparent has allowed people to experience some of the joys  of parenthood without the responsibilities or pressures. But given the high numbers of working parents and lone parent families, many grandparents are caring for their grandchildren just as they may have done for their own children. In fact, one in every hundred children lives with a grandparent – an average of two to four in every primary school.

Grandparents typically spend around 16 hours a week caring for their grandchildren. Age Concern researchers estimate that grandparents save the economy almost £4 billion through unpaid childcare.
But it’s not just caring for grandchildren that demands the time of today’s over 50s.  An ageing population means that many older people are also caring for their own parents.
The social care system is chronically and lamentably underfunded.  Many vulnerable older people still suffer abuse and neglect in care settings.  As a result, people are often reluctant to put their relatives into care and instead look after them at home.

Three million people over 50 care for someone who is frail, sick or disabled and women in their 50s are most likely to be the carers. The government has already introduced legislation which has increased rights for carers: they are now able to have their needs assessed and social services have the power to provide services to carers who need help.

However, more still needs to be done for the many carers who struggle to balance their work and care responsibilities. The government is right to consider giving carers employment rights equivalent to those of parents, such as the right to request flexible working hours. Crucially, this would help the over 50s to achieve a decent work-life balance. With the number of older people in society expected to grow, the pressures on carers will increase tremendously.

Despite increasing demands on their time, older people are already living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Instead of leaving the workplace to put their feet up in retirement, many older people are choosing to stay in work longer, take up new hobbies or even start their own families
In the next decade, the role of older people in society looks set to change even further.  There are now 17 million baby boomers marching towards retirement. They have been vocal citizens throughout their lives and have high expectations of their own retirement. They want goods and services that reflect their needs and will not be allow tehmselves to be marginalised because of their age. In fact, many experts are predicting that the baby boomers will re-shape retirement completely. Crucially, older people are becoming less likely to accept without question what they are given and are instead taking control of their lives. Parliament, along with the rest of society, must wake up to this evolving group and respond to their needs.

Ask a teenager in ten years time to describe a pensioner and the response may not be so predictable.