Health and wellbeing needs: Older people
Projected Need and Demand
- Our population is ageing. The number of people aged 65 or over in England will increase by 65% over the next 25 years. Within this, the number of people over 85 years old is due to increase significantly.
- The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projections suggest that between 2012 - 2032, the national population of 65-84 year olds will increase by 39% from 7.8m to 10.9m. Over the same period, the national population of over-85s will more than double from 1.26m to 2.61m. By 2039, more than one in 12 of the population will be aged 80 or over.
- The North East is projected to be one of the fastest-growing English regions in terms of percentage of the population aged 65 and over, with a rise from 17.2% in 2010 to 23.6% in 2030.
- Recent research by Public Health England (February 2016) confirms continuing upward trend in life expectancy among older age groups in England. For males in 2014, the life expectancy figures at ages 65, 75, 85, and 95 are the highest ever recorded. The same is true for females at ages 65, 75, and 95. Male life expectancy has increased to nearly 80 and women is already at 83.
- Our ageing population is becoming more diverse. By 2026 it is estimated that the older population from black and minority ethnic communities will make up 28.4% of the population compared to 21.2% today.
- Our ageing population will be more open to diversity in sexuality with a significant growth in the number of older people who are openly gay, lesbian or bisexual
- Health and long-term conditions - The prevalence of long-term conditions is strongly linked to ageing and the number of people with multiple long-term conditions in England is projected to rise to 2.9 million by 2018 (Department of Health, 2015).
