Urgent action needed to stop retirement being blighted by ill health and poor care

Millions of people currently in their forties and fifies will live in unsuitable housing when they retire and die without adequate care and support, according to a new report.

The report ‘A 2030 vision: building communities and environments to support people to live well and die well’ calls for urgent action to deal with demographic and social changes.

The number of people aged 60 or over will increase by over 5m to 19.9m by 2030 and there are planned increases to the state pension age.

People will also be living longer, suffering from chronic life-limiting conditions and growing numbers of people will be living alone – this all needs to be taken into consideration and prepared for.

The study carried out by the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) and the National Care Forum (NCF) recommends having a long term government vision for older people, more discussion about growing old and dying in society and building homes that are capable of being adapted to people’s needs with better use of technology, supporting them to live independently.

Eve Richardson, chief executive of the National Council for Palliative Care called for urgent action 'to prevent a whole generation of middle-aged people having their retirement blighted by poor care and support, ill-health and unsuitable housing at vast expense to the taxpayer.'

She said: ' As a first step the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission and the Palliative Care Funding Review should be implemented, but this must also be accompanied by a long-term vision for 2030 and beyond spanning health, social care and housing to ensure growing older in Britain does not become something to be dreaded but something to be enjoyed and embraced.’

The report comes only days after the Health Select Committee’s report on Social Care warned that older people are being led down by fragmented care services and called on Government to accept the recommendations of the Dilnot report on funding of adult social care.

Des Kelly, executive director of the National Care Forum said: 'The fact we are living longer than ever before is something to celebrate. However longer life brings with it the need for more planning – both for individuals and for organisations that offer care and support services.'

'It is self-evident that joining up housing, care and health services brings better outcomes for people. It is vital that the highly anticipated adult social care White Paper brings forward practical steps to encourage greater cooperation and the integration of provision.’