The Ageing Population
Population ageing is a global phenomenon.
In 2015, there were around 901 million people worldwide aged 60 years and over. This represented 12.3% of the total global population. It is understood that by 2030, this will have increased to 1.6 billion or 16.4%.
What has caused population ageing?
Over the last 50 years, mortality rates have decreased both globally and in the United Kingdom. Since the 1960s, fertility rates have also been declining. Globally, the average birth rate for people who can get pregnant is around 2.5. As a result, we are rapidly approaching a time where there will be more older people than younger people for the first time in history.
What are the implications of an ageing population?
Ageing patients will impose considerable workload and financial pressures on the National Health Service, according to an article in the British Medical Journal (2005;331:1362).
Older adults have different health care needs than younger age groups and this will affect the demands placed on the health care system in the future. Older adults are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, e.g. cancer, heart disease, diabetes, in comparison to younger people.
As well as an increase in drug costs, there are other costs to consider and this includes diagnostic tests, surgical procedures and regular monitoring of patients by various health care professionals.
There are multiple economic, public service and societal impacts. Some examples of these impacts include:
Economic: pensions are the largest item of welfare expenditure
Social care: 1 in 5 adults aged between 75 and 84 years have some problems with personal care, for example with washing and dressing without assistance
Housing and well-being: older people are more likely to have difficulty in accessing services
Barriers include services moving online, i.e. digital exclusion
There has been an emergence of new markets with an increased involvement in volunteering and community activism. People are working for longer, spending more time with family and friends, and possibly being required to provide further care for family members.
What is the NHS doing?
There has been shift in terms of service provision and more details can be found in the NHS Long Term Plan (check this document out for some extra reading for interviews). Furthermore, the identification of frailty allows for appropriate care plans to be created. Identifying frailty can be done by assessing the patient through the use of The Frailty Phenotype, which is characterised by 3 or more criteria :
Unintentional weight loss (4.5kg in last year)
Self-reported exhaustion
Weakness (grip strength)
Slow walking speed
Confirmation of frailty in an individual should be undertaken using a validated tool such as:
• Gait Speed Test
• PRISMA-7
• Timed Up and Go test
Managing an ageing population requires input from the multidisciplinary team. For wider reading to support your healthcare interviews, why not research what role each member can play?
Sources:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/ageing/articles/livinglongerhowourpopulationischangingandwhyitmatters/2018-08-13
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/population-ageing
https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/clinical-policy/older-people/frailty/frailty-risk- identification/
www.bgs.org.uk
https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk
