Age UK's latest health and care research

The research was conducted in September 2023 and made up of an online survey, completed by over 17,000 older people, aged 50+, as well as representative polling of people aged 50+.

The findings highlight the challenges that people aged 50 and over are facing with their health and care, with:

·        31% (around 8 million) saying that their health had got worse over the previous 12 months.

·        58% (around 14.9 million) were not confident that their health would improve in future.

·        35% (around 9 million) agreed they can't walk as far as they did 12 months previously.

·        31% (around 8 million) told us that they feel more anxious than 12 months previously.

·        47% (around 12.1 million) were concerned about their ability to see a GP in person.

·        26% (around 6.7 million) were rarely or never leaving their homes for social contact.

·        18% (around 4.6 million) had been skipping meals over the previous 12 months, as a result of       the cost of living increases.

Daily life remains tough for many people. We saw that some groups appear to be harder hit than others: women, people living with long term conditions, unpaid carers, and people from minoritised ethnic groups. Those in the 50-59 age group are struggling on many different fronts. This ‘pre-retirement’ period is often accompanied by the onset of health conditions and/or caring responsibilities, making work challenging and finances tight. Age UK would like to see more policy attention on the health and care needs of this population.

Although there are some differences in how people are faring, there are many commonalities across the groups, including concerns about accessing healthcare, worries about the cost of living, and actions taken to cope with the increased costs.

We hope you find the report interesting and useful for your own work. If you have any questions, please email healthinfluencing@ageuk.org.uk.