Future of an Ageing Population

7.1 Benefits of connectivity
Connectivity – the ability to use technology, access services, travel easily and
socialise – is a key issue as the population ages, and includes not only physical
mobility but also virtual and digital interactions. Connectivity is crucial in
allowing people to care for others, interact socially, participate in society (for
example, through volunteering and working), and access services such as
health prevention and health treatment. In 2011, 630,000 of over 65s found
it difficult or very difficult to travel to their GP, while less than half of those
aged 80 and over said they found it easy to travel to a hospital. Those in the
worst health and with the lowest incomes found it the most difficult to travel
to health services 202 .
Loneliness and social isolation have impacts for individuals and society, for
example people with a high degree of loneliness are twice as likely to develop
Alzheimer’s as people with a low degree of loneliness 203 . A large proportion
of older people ‘feel lonely some of the time or often’, with those in the oldest
age groups being most likely to feel this way (see Figure 7.1). A range of factors
cause isolation and loneliness in later life, including children leaving home,
death of partners, retirement, and reduced mobility 204 .
60
Proportion of people feeling lonely (%)
50
40
30
20
10
0
50-59 60-69 70-79 80+
Age group (years)
Gender:
Men
Women
Survey of residents aged 10+ of 40,000 households
Figure 7.1: The proportion of people feeling lonely some of the time or often by age group and
gender in the UK 2009-2010 204 .
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