The population is ageing. Over the last 10 years the number of people aged over 65 in England increased by a fifth – that’s nearly 1.7 million extra older people.
The biggest increase has been in the over 85s, up by nearly a third. This trend will not only continue in the coming years, it will actually gather pace. But while the greater longevity is to be welcomed, far too many of those later years are being spent in poor health.
That is bad for the individual and bad for the state. The longer a person spends in poor health the more health and care they need, so tackling it is a priority for local government aiming to to reduce the impact of long-term conditions, turn the tide and make sure that those in old age are able to maintain their health, wellbeing and independence for as long as possible.
- Published by:
-
LGA
- Reference code:
-
22.11