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New government statistics reveal
that the number of over 65s with care
needs in the UK will rise by 64 per
cent by 2026.
By 2022 older people using community
services will go up by 37% to 2.1million
and the number of older people
relying on informal carers will rise
by 40% to 2.5million.
This will have a major impact on the
care catering sector, says Sue Ullman,
Chair of the National Association of
Care Catering.
She said: “These figures are incredible
and are a result of the fact that we are
caring for people better than we have
ever done. We are keeping people
alive a lot longer because of the
facilities we are providing.
“In the future caterers are going to have
to be more diverse and open-minded
for a real cross section of people.
What elderly people today want on
their plates might be very different
to what future generations want.”
‘Choice’ will also be the watchword
for elderly people who continue
to live in the own homes but with
additional support.
Sue continued: “More people will be
living in their own homes than do at
present and will be supported with
care packages. We have got to make
sure that they have the right facilities
for catering for them.
“The Meals on Wheels service will
also have to be more diverse in the
menus it provides.”
Sue recently returned from a
fact-finding mission to Holland where
she visited Extra Care schemes that
provide housing and specialised
“I visited a fabulous scheme which had
a huge community area with a coffee
bar,”she added. “It was fresh, bright
and modern and had bar stools as well
as a low area and I think that is the key.
You have to offer choice. Just because
people are elderly does not mean they
can’t sit on a bar stool. There were
wheelchair counters as well.”
Ageing populations
Since 1840, the highest average life
expectancy has improved by a quarter
of a year every year.
- Those born in the 1950s can expect
to live to beyond 90, while those
born in the 1960s onwards to live
beyond 100.
In 2007 there were a record 9,000 100
years olds in the UK. This is forecast
to rise to 40,000 by 2031.
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