Older people requiring round the clock care set to double

In a report by Newcastle University, it has been forecasted that over the next 20 years, those over the age of 85 needing round the clock care will have doubled. The figures released by The Lancet Public Health suggest that by 2035, 446,000 people will need constant care, with the number of people who will have four or more diseases also set to risen two-fold.

The selection of those who could in the future need around the clock care is likely to be diagnosed with illnesses making them unable to care for themselves. Despite this, the number of people with dementia requiring assistance from carers will drop by a third, with the vast majority of people in need of care diagnosed with several diseases.

Professor Carol Jagger, from Newcastle University’s Institute of Ageing, led the study, stating that: “This expanding group will have more complex care needs that are unlikely to be met adequately without improved coordination between different specialities and a better understanding of the way in which dementia affects the management of other conditions.”

Although the figures for those who are 85 or over are set to drastically increase, there is good news for those who fall within the 65 to 74-year-old category. It is suggested that these adults will be able to function better independently, with things such as home stairlift solutions helping them to remain mobile as they get older.

The study, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research, has suggested that men will be living more independently, with their life expectancy predicted to have increased by 3.5 years, with their needs for 24-hour care lowered.

Professor Jagger said that “over the next 20 years, although young-old cohorts are more likely to enter old age independent, the proportion of adults with multi-morbidities is projected to rise with each successive cohort, and this will result in a greater likelihood of higher dependency with further ageing.

“However, trends for men and women are likely to be very different, with women experiencing more low-level dependency than men, highlighting the importance of focusing on disabling long-term conditions, such as arthritis that is more common in women than men.”