Elderly people

Older people: facts and figures
There are over 11 million elderly people in the United Kingdom, according to the most recent census.

275,000 in Northern Ireland.
Source: Age Concern

This breaks down into:

9,280,000 in England
968,000 in Scotland
602,000 in Wales

Latest elderly people's jobs from Community Care

Community Care Conferences

Tackling the Eligibility Crisis in Adult Services: Working towards the transformation of social care


Poverty
16% of single older men and 22% of single older women, before housing costs, are in poverty; 13% of single older men and 17% of single older women, after housing costs, are in poverty, compared to 19% of all pensioners before housing costs, and 17% of all pensioners after housing costs.

Two million pensioners, before housing costs, and 1.8 million after housing costs are in poverty.

Poverty is defined as living in a household where the income is less than 60 per cent of the median income of the population as a whole. 68% of pensioner households depend on state benefits for at least 50% of their income.
Source: Age Concern.


Continuing care
Continuing care affects some of society’s most vulnerable people – those in need of ongoing care. People deemed eligible for continuing care receive free NHS care. Those denied it usually become the responsibility of social services – and their care is means tested. Seriously ill people are being assessed as only needing social care, which they must pay for. There is concern about inconsistency in the way eligibility for free NHS care is decided.

Community Care articles on contiunuing care include:
New continuing care rules may spark cash row between councils and NHS

Continuing care: special report


Dementia
Dementia mainly affects the over-65s and its prevalence increases with age. The Alzheimer’s Society says that more than 680,000 people have dementia in the UK, costing about £17bn a year in formal and informal care. It estimates numbers will rise to almost 950,000 by 2021, and more than 1.7 million by 2051.

Community Care articles on dementia include:
Call for new strategy to deal with UK's dementia timebomb

Dementia: new guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Social Care Institute for Excellence

Dementia care: special report 


Protection from abuse
Community Care articles on adult protection include:

Regulator and directors agree adult protection protocol

New campaign to combat elder abuse


Elderly hearing loss
Community Care articles on sensory impairment include:

Job file: assessing the needs of people who are visually or hearing impaired

How Kirklees Council made sign language info videos in-house

People with sensory impairments should wait a maximum 18 weeks for assessment


Eating disorders in elderly people
Anorexia is usually associated with teenage girls but elderly people suffer from eating disorders. Causes can include depression and poverty.

Beat, formerly the Eating Disorders Association, says some specialists believe that eating issues in older people are likely to be due to depression and disorientation, rather than a dedicated pursuit of thinness.

Article from The Guardian about eating disorders in older people

Research by the University of British Columbia on eating disorders in elderly people


More Community Care articles on subjects affecting elderly people
First UK commissioner for older people approved by Welsh assembly

Direct payments and indiviudal budgets: special report

Comprehensive spending review 2007: why the elderly should get a better deal

Older people's tsar Professor Ian Philp launches blueprint to support elderly people including elderly health care

Advocacy and older people

End of life care: guidance for care home staff

Meal-time: food in care homes for older people


Government initiatives affecting elderly people
National service framework for older people 

Next steps in implementing the national service franmework for older people: sets out priorities for the second phase of the government's ten-year framework

Recipe for Care: increasing early intervention in social care and elderly health care

Government action plan on social exclusion 

A Sure Start to Later Life, ending inequalities for older 

Our health, our care, our say: health and social care white paper 

Opportunity Age, the government's strategy for an ageing society 


Major reports affecting elderly people

State of social care - including care of elderly - analysed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection

Reaction to the Commission for Social Care Inspection's report on the state of social care

CSCI report on home care

Wanless report into social care for older people 


Elderly people service providers

Older people's service providers from Community Care's Purchasing care directory