By 2025 the number of people over the age of 65 who will need care could rise by 25 per cent to 2.8m in England and Wales. This could result in more people with disabilities such as dementia.
The Lancet Public Health journal published research which showed the number of people living into old age is estimated to increase by more than half a million (560,000 people) by 2025, when compared to 2015.
The study looked at future trends in disability and life expectancy in England and Wales, estimated the future rates of heart disease, dementia and other diseases and the disabilities they may cause.
Authors of the study are warning that the impact on people with lower incomes unable to live independently will increase, if the shortage of care workers and the poor state of social care is not addressed now.
Lead researcher of the study, Professor Eric Brunner, UCL, UK says: “We find that ageing of the population in the next 10 years will cause an increase in burden of disability that we must not ignore.”
