Care in Old Age

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Care in Old Age

The last century saw great improvements in life expectancy. A woman of 60 can expect on average to live another 23 years, and a man of 65 another 15 years.

However, the number of years we can expect to enjoy without serious long-term illness or disability, has remained remarkably stable at around 59 years for the average man and 62 years for the average woman.

So, as we live longer, we can expect more health problems and, as you might expect, the older we get, the greater the likelihood of failing health.

Many of us will eventually become unable to cope on our own with normal daily activities and will require help and support from others.

Support

This support might come from members of the family, though some experts predict that, as more women are now working, they will abandon their traditional role as carers of elderly parents and other relatives. And families are often geographically fragmented, making it harder for relatives to provide the regular support that might help an elderly person to stay in his or her own home.

Some people need to move into an institutional home, particularly in later life.

Many people imagine that if they did need to move into a home, the state would look after them. In fact, this is not so unless your income and savings are very low. In the main, you would have to foot the bill yourself, and the bill is high.