A third of the 10,000 Boomers turning 65 each day are entering retirement single. The thought of being shipped off to live in a retirement home is unthinkable for many – but The Golden Girls Network offers house sharing for older single women who are still young at heart.

Jam and scones. Knitted tea cosies. Stories about the good old days… how about arty Sierra-filtered snaps? Age UK’s #NotByMySelfie campaign brings our perceptions of seniors into the 21st century via the selfie, reminding us that no one should be alone in the digital age.

While the immediate future is unlikely to yield AI pseudo-human carers, the notion of robots aiding the elderly is closer than ever. All over the world – especially in Japan, where more than a quarter of the population is over 65 – technology and healthcare are starting to overlap.

Growing old is daunting, but imagine having to grow old alone. In Japan, four in five 40- to 59-year-olds have expressed anxiety about feeling lonely in later life, with over three-quarters worried about becoming ill without having the appropriate care.