‘The State of Ageing in England is getting worse’
The Centre for Ageing Better has pulled together extensive data in this recent important report. They have made the information very easy to access with the summary and all sections presented online with lots of graphs and explanation – see HERE.
Here are some headline findings from an article on their website.
‘Today there are almost 11 million people aged 65 and over – 19% of the total population. In 10 years’ time, this will have increased to almost 13 million people or 22% of the population.’
‘As our comprehensive review of national data on ageing makes clear, a financially secure and healthy later life is becoming increasingly unlikely for millions of people.’
‘And, with the population ageing rapidly, the number of people at risk is growing at an alarming rate. The latest data shows a sharp increase in pensioner poverty meaning that almost 1 in 5, some 2 million people of pension age, are now living in poverty.’
‘We have also seen a reduction in our life expectancy (of 0.3 years for women and 0.4 years for men). Meanwhile, the number of years we can expect to spend in good health, without a disabling illness, continues to decline; this is now 62.4 years for men and 60.9 years for women.’
‘The State of Ageing 2022 has five chapters: Health, Homes, Work, Communities and a chapter setting out the context in which we are ageing. It looks at data from a wide range of sources such as the English Housing Survey, the GP Patient survey, the Health Survey for England and the Community Life Survey, as well as a host of official statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and government sources such as the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department for Work and Pensions.’
‘Ultimately it shows that the experience of being older in England is getting considerably worse for many.’
‘While we make recommendations for action under each chapter, our overall recommendation is that government appoints an Older People’s Commissioner for England to protect and promote the rights of older people and to help make England a better place to grow old in. In line with the existing Older People’s Commissioners in Wales and Northern Ireland, this role would champion the needs of older people, particularly those at greatest risk, and safeguard all our journeys into later life.’
