‘I don’t fall, I slide’: older people rebel to keep sense of control, study finds

Study of people born in 1921 shows happiness is linked to independence, with many using ‘subversive tactics’ to maintain this

It is the age of rebellion. They may be frail, but 95-year-olds engage in miniature campaigns of “resistance and subversion” to foster a sense of control over their lives, a study has confirmed.

From refusing to wear emergency call buttons to casting aside walking sticks, many members of a cohort born in 1921 studied by health scientists at the Universities of York and Newcastle used “subversive tactics to maintain a level of independence,”, often laced with humour and secrecy aimed at their offspring.