Health Foundation -
England’s population is ageing. In the next 25 years, the number of people older than 85 will double to 2.6 million. An ageing population might lead to the presumption that there will be an increased need for health and social care services. But the reality is more complicated. This report report examines this dynamic by analysing changes in two measures of need: an estimate of social care need, drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA); and prevalence of long-term conditions, as a proxy for health and health service demand.