The CSaP Policy Challenge on Ageing, in partnership with PublicHealth@Cambridge, investigated ways to develop a future vision of what an ageing society might look like, and the benefits to society. It also considered ways to achieve independent living for the elderly without isolation, and an inclusive, joined up, health system that is adaptive throughout the life course. A final strand of work considered the factors required to model the economic impacts and opportunities of an ageing population.

Projections of the demographic shifts expected in Britain emphasise the scale of the challenge.

• A 300% increase in the number of people aged 65 or over in single households by 2024.
• A 60% increase in the number of people with potential care needs by 2030
• More than double the number of very old people by 2060.

Seeking to better predict understand these changes, the first workshop focused on the question of how to model the impacts of an ageing population, preventative healthcare, and future life expectancy. For more on the modelling workshop, click here.

The second workshop sought to address the challenge of designing an inclusive, joined-up and adaptive health and care systems in respect of elderly care. For more on integrated health and social care systems, click here.

The third and final workshop was focused towards building a mutual vision for the future ageing population, and discussing how new policy might bridge the gap between a ‘likely’ and an ‘ideal’ image of an ageing society in the coming decades. For more on the visioning workshop, click here.

The policy briefing for the Ageing Policy Challenge is available download here.