Seven million people predicted to live with long-term health conditions by 2020

People are living longer than ever before, yet they are not necessarily living healthier lives, Age UK has warned.

The charity has estimated that six million people aged sixty and over, currently live with two or more long-term health conditions in England, a figure which is expected to increase to more than seven million by 2020.

Charity director for Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said: “There are many challenges ahead of us. Not only is the UK ageing, but so is the rest of the world and we need to be prepared to meet the needs of this shift in demographic. We fully support the World Health Organization’s call for a more holistic approach to ageing when it comes to health and care.

“Age UK supports the need for more integrated services to meet the needs of our ageing population. Our NHS and care services need to be fit for purpose, providing the right support that is focused on helping people stay well and independent in later life. But we must go further by bringing together services and support across local areas to ensure every older person can live in a safe, supportive age-friendly community that values their contribution.

“Ageing is inevitable for us all and we must do more to make the UK and the world a great place to grow older.“

Ageing population

An ageing population is not unique to the UK. The global number of older people is increasing and is expected to reach over two billion by 2050, with some of the greatest increases taking place in developing countries.

Currently a woman aged 65 can expect to live another 20.8 years, while a man can expect another 18.2 years. However, individuals can only expect to spend approximately 11 of those years in good health.

Yet, as overall life expectancy has risen, more people are living into older age with multiple long-term conditions, including: frailty, dementia and social care needs.

A recent survey conducted by the charity found that 40 per cent of people aged 65 or over found that a long-term health problem limits their daily activities and quality of life.

Long-term conditions (LTCs) are already the biggest challenge facing the NHS accounting for £7 in every £10 spent on health and social care, 70 per cent of hospital bed days and half of all GP appointments.

These findings were released on the same day as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on ‘Ageing and Health’. The report highlighted that supporting people to maintain their health, wellbeing and independence as they age, needs to be a priority both in the UK and worldwide.

The WHO report defines ‘healthy ageing’ as the process of developing and maintaining well-being in older age. It has called for:

• Better alignment of healthcare systems that address the demands of older age in a more integrated way.

• The development of long-term care systems that work.

• The need to create age friendly environments- improving measurement, monitoring and to have a better understanding of older people.

Healthy ageing

Age UK has suggested that without intervention, the focus of NHS care will increasingly be targeted at people with long-term conditions rather than on short-term interventions for people with urgent or acute health needs.

Chris Roles, director of Age International, added: “We strongly support the World Health Organization’s report on healthy ageing as it provides timely, expert and practical advice for Governments, policy makers and those in civil society who promote the needs and rights of older people.

“All over the world, including in low-income countries, people are living longer. Whether these extra years of life are also extra years of good health is key to the wellbeing of older people, their families and communities.”

“We’ve seen from our work in a wide range of low and middle-income countries that improving health and care systems has a significant impact and enables older people to live fuller, more active and more secure lives.”

He concluded: “This report from WHO shows that older people and population ageing are starting to get the recognition they urgently need in these times of unprecedented demographic change.”