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I've had a betta, named Joey, for a year now but I'm not sure how old he is. For the last few weeks his colour has been fading from dark blue to pretty much all white.
He hides at the bottom of the tank under a moss ball. I have to encourage him to come out for food and then he floats to the top. He struggles to swim back down again to his hiding spot but he does it. He's only about 5% active as he used to be.
He has no common illness symptoms either.
The Betta's (also called Siamese fighting fish) life expectancy is only 2 years in captivity. Fading color is a sign of aging as is the thinning of the fins. Lethargy, lack of appetite, breathing difficulty and spotting are all signs of aging in these fish.
Try changing the water and increasing the temperature. Also, don't overfeed the fish - it will not help. Good luck!
My betta is going on 3 years. If bettas are stressed out they will try to burrow and hide. If he is floating upwards to get food you could try to have a little less water and add some plants for better hiding spots. Aquarium salt will help him breathe a little easier but follow the directions on the product and do not add it to the tank directly as is will create burns on the betta. Also sounds like your betta might have betta bloat you could try the frozen pea method. 
