Councils failing to prepare for ageing population

17 Feb 10
Only one in ten councils is making preparations for the soaring costs of providing services for an ageing population, according to the Audit Commission
By Lucy Phillips

18 February 2010

Only one in ten councils is making preparations for the soaring costs of providing services for an ageing population, according to the Audit Commission.

A report from the local spending watchdog, published today, warns that councils would struggle to cope with the change in demographics unless services are redesigned now.

In a parallel study into the strategic financial management of local authorities, the commission found only 11 out of 112 councils are planning for an ageing population in the medium term.
Commission chair Michael O’Higgins told Public Finance that there was a sense of ‘organisational stasis’, although local authorities were aware of the issue.

He called for a ‘strategic rethink’, saying councils risked missing out on ‘opportunities to innovate and save’, particularly through moving more care into people’s own homes.

‘The current situation makes it critical to be able to do this. There are ways of providing services for more people that cost less, but it requires advanced planning,’ O’Higgins said.

The report, Under pressure: tackling the financial challenge for councils of an ageing population, identifies pockets of good practice. For example, the introduction of ‘telecare’ technology, such as medication sensors, in North Yorkshire and Essex is enabling people to live at home for longer and saving millions of pounds.  

O’Higgins added that the perception of old age as being ‘frail’ was out of date, with many elderly people accustomed to self-service and using the internet. He urged councils to speak to relatives and carers too, to determine the best options.

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