Population review: (5). The population aged 60 and over

Abstract

The elderly population of the UK is currently growing more slowly than in the past, but is becoming older. When the larger post-Second World War birth cohorts reach their sixties this trend will be reversed. In comparison with their predecessors, more of today's elderly have spouses and children. The proportions of divorced people among the elderly, while growing rapidly, are still small. Changes in living arrangements have been substantial. Co-residence between generations has continued to become less, and living alone more common. The number of elderly people with children close at hand has fallen and the proportion of very old people living in institutions has increased. Elderly people are far less likely to be in paid work than in the past, but provide a great deal of the informal care needed by disabled parents and other people aged 65 or over. Mortality rates at older ages have fallen, but the extent of self-reported limiting long-term illness has risen. This may reflect increased awareness of health problems among elderly people. More positively, there are signs that the extent of serious disability has fallen.