Medical science has come on leaps and bounds in the past century or so. In the UK, life expectancy is now at 77 years of age for men, whilst women on average can expect to live to 82.
Indeed, the percentage of the UK population under the age of 16 has been in decline for well over a decade and for the first time ever, it has dropped below the percentage of people of a pensionable age. In fact statistics are showing that people are living longer and the way things are going, a man who is 65 in the year 2015 may well live until he is 89 years and 10 months.
The upshot of this, of course, is that more and more people are living not only to be grandparents, but great grandparents too. Naturally, this can only be a good thing for families.
Many people will become grandparents when they’re still of working age, meaning they will still miss out on many of the priceless moments of a young person’s formative years. Whilst it’s still technically possible to be of working age as a great grandparent, the chances are the pension has long been drawn and the golden years will be in full swing.
Furthermore, becoming a great grandparent should actually have a positive influence on a person’s general health and wellbeing. It’s well known that one of the keys to staying healthy as we age is remaining socially engaged; however, as we age our social networks tend to dwindle. As a consequence of getting older, our family normally increases in size, which offers the perfect opportunity to stay active and engage with people of all ages.
As the head of the extended family, a great grandparent has a very important role to play. They are a living symbol of the family history and can be called upon to pass on information to the younger generation.
Importantly, great grand parents can act as an extra role model for children growing up. Any child who grows up with three generations of love and support behind them will be in a very strong position mentally and emotionally as they develop.
Of course, a great grandparent will normally want to leave a legacy behind when they pass away, whether it’s a contribution to the younger generation’s college funds, or a lump sum that can be divided evenly among the whole family. Before taking out any life insurance policy though, it’s always best to research and compare life insurance quotes, as some will have certain restrictions in place.
Once all the preparations have been put in place, all that’s left for the new great grandparent to do is take life easy and enjoy the three generations of family beneath them.
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
