Cost of caring for older people will increase four fold by 2051, report finds

Spending on long-term care for older people will need to
quadruple in real terms by the middle of the century to cope with
the rising number of elderly people, according to figures published
this week by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, writes
Paul Stephenson.

The enormous increase in funding will be necessary, the report
says, because of the latest population projections from the
government. These estimate the number of people over 65 will rise
by 81 per cent by 2051, including an increase a 255 per cent
increase in the number of over-85s to four million.

Using these figures, researchers estimate total UK spending on
long-term care will need to rise to £53.9bn by 2051. The
number of places in residential care homes, nursing homes and
hospitals will have to rise by about 150 per cent to 1.3m.

JRF director Richard Best said: “The potential for a
four-fold increase in spending identified by this report should
make politicians and policy makers stop and think
carefully.”

• Report from www.jrf.org.uk