Evidence of need

An ageing population

• The population aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 65.1 per cent to 491,700 people from mid-2016 to mid-2041
• The population aged 85 and over is projected to increase by 127.2 per cent to reach 82,800 people over the same period.
• Rates of disability increase dramatically for those aged 85 and over (by 67 percent) compared to 5 per cent among young adults.
• People aged 65 and over living alone will represent 86.6 percent of the projected increase in people living alone between 2012 and 2037 (36,900 people).
• A need for an additional 4,050 care packages was projected from 2017–2020 (15 percent increase) and an additional 20,101 care packages by 2037 (68 percent increase).

Delayed discharge from hospital

• Delayed discharge in Northern Ireland is costing £1.5 million a month to keep people in hospital who could be discharged if a suitable care package was in place. Many of these people are aged 65+.

Short-break support for carers

• Health trust provision of shortbreak support in Northern Ireland was almost 1 million hours in each quarter in 2015/16 but more than half of this was in an institutional setting rather than community based.

Dementia care

• The number of people living with dementia in Northern Ireland is projected to increase to 60,000 by 2051.
• Health and social care expenditure for people with dementia in Northern Ireland was projected to double from 2011 to 2031.