Care village with eight centenarians shares secrets to long lives

A Surrey retirement village with the motto ‘living longer, ageing well’, is believed to be the only care provider in the UK to house eight centenarians.

While researchers have pondered over the secret to longer life for many years, Whiteley Village in Walton appears to have cracked it, with every one of its 500 residents all over retirement age, and their oldest resident, who has lived at the village for more than 30 years, recently turning 104.

It seems the secret of the residents’ longevity is their happiness. “People here don’t feel lonely,” says Chandra McGowan, chief executive of the charitable trust that runs Whiteley Village. “They are engaged with other residents, they feel safe and they have a great sense of pride in the village.”

Everyone has their own best kept secret but the centenarians cite their top reasons as social interaction with friends they have made at the village, keeping busy with interests and keeping as physically active as possible.

National treasure

Described by Prince Charles as a ‘national treasure’, Whiteley Village has its own on-site security, visitors are free to come and go as they please, and there is a strong sense of togetherness, belonging, care and neighbourliness.

Ms McGowan said: “It’s a proper village with a vibrant community. Around 200 residents take it upon themselves to volunteer in village life and run over 20 clubs including water fitness, golf, bowls, putting, art, mahjong, and photography.”

The registered charity is set in 225 acres of Surrey woodland and contains 262 almshouses, a care home and extra care apartments.

The community was established during the first world war by William Whiteley, founder of London’s first department store. It is believed to have been the first retirement village in the UK and has always restricted residence to people of ‘limited financial means’.

Today Whiteley Village still adheres to the same principles which seem to work – with research proving that Whiteley’s residents live up to five years longer than the national average.

Les Mayhew, lead researcher of the study published by Cass Business School at the University of London, commented: “It is well-established that people classified as having a low socio-economic status tend to have a lower life expectancy than the average member of the population, but instead we found the opposite at Whiteley.

“The undoubted lesson of Whiteley is that it is possible to create a socially stimulating and safe environment in which older people can enjoy a longer retirement in peace and comfort.”

Ageing society

With the UK’s population of over 65’s projected to increase by more than 40 per cent, to over 16 million during the next 17 years, finding ways in which older people can live their later lives in relative health and comfort has become an increasingly important issue in the UK.

Ms McGowan says the benefits of communal living which include enhanced quality of life, reduced social isolation and greater independence, are of immense significance because of continuously rising cost pressures on health and social care.

“There is a strong sense of togetherness, belonging, care and neighbourliness at Whiteley,” she said. “Everyone in the village is a valued member of our community and benefits from the mutual support which brings happiness and security in later years.

“For 100 years, Whiteley Village has supported older people to live as independently as possible. Our one-stop-shop solution brings together suitable accommodation and care on one site, and this enables our residents to live independently for longer.”

She added: “Every day we see our residents helping each other and this inter-dependence is very important to everyone’s well-being. People living at Whiteley Village tell us they feel safe, connected and cared for, underpinned by the security of having their ‘own home’. For many this removes a huge amount of anxiety given their housing situation prior to arrival. The Whiteley example provides positive insight into much needed proactive solutions for our ageing society.”

With demand for accommodation at Whiteley Village at its highest and a waiting list of over one year, the Whiteley Village Trust has applied for planning to build an additional 62 almshouses. Planning has now been granted for a new care hub providing an extra 30 care suites.