Over 85s needing 24 hour care to set to double

With the care system at ‘breaking point’, a new study has predicted that the number of people aged 85 and over needing 24-hour care is set to double.

Published in the Lancet Public Health journal, the study analysed the projected health needs of the elderly in England between 2015 and 2035 and found that the number of 65-year-olds and over needing round-the-clock care is also set to rise by a third.

With adult social care reforms set to be unveiled by the government in the Autumn, the fastest growing demographic in the UK is elderly people over 85, whose numbers are projected to more than double by 2035, increasing by 1.5 million. Additionally, it is expected that many of this age group will develop multiple long-term health conditions, such as dementia and diabetes, leading to increasingly complex care needs. The number of over-85s requiring help throughout the day with tasks such as dressing and bathing is estimated to almost double to 446,000 by 2035.

The study was carried out by Newcastle University and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Professor Carol Jagger, from the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing and senior author of the study, said: "The challenge is considerable. Our study suggests that older spouse carers are increasingly likely to be living with disabilities themselves. On top of that, extending the retirement age of the UK population is likely to further reduce the informal carer pool, who have traditionally provided for older family members."

Nick Forbes, senior vice chair of the Local Government Association, said: “With people living longer, increases in costs, decreases in funding, care providers closing and contracts being returned to councils, the system is at breaking point, ramping up pressures on unpaid carers who are the backbone of the care system. Adult social care services face a £3.5 billion funding gap by 2025, just to maintain existing standards of care. The likely consequences of this are more and more people being unable to get quality and reliable care and support, which enables them to live more fulfilling lives.

“Action is needed, which is why, following government’s decision to delay its green paper on adult social care, the Local Government Association has published its own green paper consultation to drive forward the public debate on what sort of care and support we need to improve people’s wellbeing and independence, the need to focus on prevention work, and, crucially, how we fund these vital services.”