The year was 1917. There was a great war in Europe. Rosenborg ball club was founded. Ukraine declared itself an independent republic. Big names like John F. Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, Ella Fitzgerald and Wenche Foss were born this year, according to the internet. They all share birth years with Signe Møller Olsen in Larvik. On 25 May, her birthday was celebrated at the nursing home. But there is one thing that makes Signe stand out. She has survived them all. – Didn’t I live to be 106 years old, then? It’s a lot when you hear it like that, she says. Ask mum We are getting more elderly in the population. The number of 100-year-olds has doubled in 10 years. 1,040 people were 100 years or older at the start of this year, figures from Statistics Norway show. Although Olsen is not the country’s oldest, she is not too far off. According to Wikipedia, it is Maren Bolette Torp who holds the record now with 112 years and 61 days. Signe Møller Olsen has three sons, grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. How many you don’t have to ask. There have been so many. She can’t bear to count. – I have an 85-year-old son, says Olsen. Signe Møller Olsen lives at Rekkevik nursing home in Larvik. Photo: Robert Hansen / news The son has a good memory, she says. But if he is asked about things he does not remember, the 85-year-old replies that he has to ask his mother. – People who don’t know him think that things have completely turned around for him. They don’t think an 85-year-old can go home and ask mum about things, smiles the 106-year-old. A good life – How should one live to have a good life? – There is something in what they say. Today people eat themselves to death, and before they starved to death. A middle ground is everything, I think. In addition to raising three sons, the 106-year-old has, among other things, worked as a seamstress and in a shop. – I have been a versatile person, without being educated for anything. But what makes someone reach a three-figure age? She does not understand why exactly Olsen has managed to reach the considerable age of 106 years. – I think it’s very strange. Think about it, I was the thinnest in my entire class. Out of eight siblings, I was the thin and pale one. – Have you lived a very healthy life? – No, I have never taken that into account. It is in moderation that I have taken a glass of wine with me. I have smoked, but I have never bought a pack of smokes. Signe Møller Olsen in the armchair in her room. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – Especially Bjørn Heine Strand is a senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health, and researches ageing. It is rare to reach such a high age as 106 years, he says. – It is quite special. In contrast, it is not so unusual to live to be 100 years old today, he adds. Bjørn Heine Strand, senior researcher at the Institute of Public Health. Photo: Norwegian Institute of Public Health Researchers still have many unanswered questions about why some people get very old. They have nevertheless found some common denominators, Strand explains: It can pay to be a woman. As many as 1,080 women and 229 men were over 100 in 2022, according to Statistics Norway. The reason is not known. Good growing conditions and a good diet are a plus. Access to medicines and good welfare If your parents and grandparents have lived a long time, you have a better chance. But whether it is because you inherit genes or whether it is about lifestyle, or a combination, is uncertain. All factors summed up, there are still many coincidences that the researchers cannot explain. What can you do yourself to live a long, and hopefully good, life? According to Strand, the research is quite clear: You shouldn’t smoke Have a good diet A little activity (walking) is much better than no activity! Be socially active Limit your alcohol intake Live while you live Signe Møller Olsen has not been so concerned about living long. Live while you live, she says. Getting that old isn’t necessarily something to aspire to, if she’s being completely honest. It is difficult when both sight and hearing fail. She emphasizes that she has a good life. Her faith provides security. But the 106-year-old has no magic formula or recipe. – I have walked a lot. When others have taken the bus, I have calculated that I will arrive just as quickly by using my legs. I also saved a krone, laughs the 106-year-old. How do we get good elderly care? Listen to the podcast:
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