In the UK there are now more adults over 60 than there are under 18 for the first time ever. We, along with most of the rest of the Western world are becoming an older society.
But what does this mean for the way that we organise our society, look after those who are most vulnerable, support people to plan for their old age and ensure that there are services available for those who need them? A change in the make up of a population has a significant effect on how public services are arranged and paid for. The main challenge comes as a result of reduced tax returns (because of fewer numbers of younger people who are likely to be working) and increased demand for expenditure (because older people are the heaviest users of the NHS and other public services).
If there's one thing we can be sure of about our older people (I'm talking about people over 60 for clarity's sake, but I know you're as old as you feel) it's that it's impossible to categorise. There is no single characteristic that defines this group. There are those on the front covers of magazines enjoying skydiving and able to work until their 90s. But there are others that don't enjoy these benefits, who live on low incomes, worried about turning on the heating, unable to access care and support services to help them as they get less able to manage.
Let me paint a picture of some of the people who need extra care and support to do the everyday tasks that others take for granted. It might be getting out of bed, combing your hair, going to the toilet or preparing a hot meal. For many older people who are finding it difficult to do these without support there is little available for them.
In the last spending review in 2010 the Government recognised that care and support services were essential and should be protected from the cuts that were prescribed for most other areas of public spending. An additional £7.2bn was found over 4 years, but the evidence shows that as a result of increasing demand because of the growing numbers of older people, there simply aren't enough services to go around.
As a result there are over 800,000 older people who need support but who don't receive it from their local council. This means that they have to rely on their family or friends to help them, or they pay privately, or worryingly, they go without support altogether.
This can have a devastating effect on people's ability to get on with normal life. It can reduce their ability to get out and about, socialise and keep up their involvement in the community. It can also affect health and in particular mental health, with evidence showing there are strong links between loneliness and poor health. Around 7% (that's about 700,000) of people over 65 say they are always or often lonely.
So what should be our response to this challenge? We all make our communities and networks what they are so think about the older people that you know or that live in your block of flats or on your street. Is there something you could do to make friends with them or help them out? Or have you got a grandparent who lives in another city and who would welcome a phone call to hear your news.
If you fancy volunteering, the local Age UK to Finchley is Age UK Barnet and there's opportunities to get involved in befriending, helping out with lifts to social events and clubs or taking someone to the supermarket. Have a look at
www.ageuk.org.uk/barnet/How-you-can-help/.
If you're a campaigning type then check out the Age UK website where there's details about the campaigns you can get involved in, including the Care in Crisis campaign which is seeking to convince the Government that urgent and widespread reform is needed in care and support. Have a look at
www.ageuk.org.uk/careincrisis.
