Reshaping Care for Older People 2011 - 2021

Why do we need to keep reshaping care?

• We are living longer. By 2032, the population aged 65 years and over is expected to increase by almost half (49%). During the same period, the population aged 90 and over will increase by one and a half times (149%).
• Scotland's older population is something to be celebrated, but brings with it new challenges. We need to plan for living longer. Who will care for our older people? Where will older people want to live? How will it all be paid for?
• We currently spend approximately £5 billion of public funding each year on health and social care for people over 65 years across Scotland. More than half (60%) of this is spent on providing institutional care in hospitals and care homes. Almost one-third is spent on emergency admissions to hospital. Some of these admissions are preventable and we need to ensure that older people do not need to be in hospital for longer than necessary. We can do this for example by improving access to care packages in the community.
• Our health and social systems need to be developed to meet requirements arising from the changing population balance.
• People's expectations of care and support are changing. Our future services need to be available locally, community-based and meet individual need.

The Reshaping Care for Older People vision is that older people:

"are valued as an asset, their voices are heard and they are supported to enjoy full and positive lives in their own home or in a homely setting."