A Eurobarometer survey on attitudes towards alcohol and drinking habits [1] has revealed that while the 15-24 year old age group is the most likely to binge drink, the over 55s are more likely to drink alcohol on a daily basis. 25% of the over 55s surveyed said they drank alcohol on a daily basis, compared to 13% of 40-54 year olds, 8% of 25-39 year olds and 3% of 15-24 year olds.
Monthly Archives: April 2010
Older Europeans more likely to be daily drinkers
Reply
Older workers and the post-recession labour market
There is something strange happening to older employment. While employment rates and levels continued to fall for every other working-age cohort in the three months to February 2010, the number of people aged between 50 and state pension age (SPA) in employment rose by 0.5% over the quarter, and 0.2% in the preceding year. The change for those above state pension age are even more interesting: a 0.8% rise over the quarter, reflecting a 6.2% rise over the year [1].
Guest Blog – Telephone ‘Pill reminder’ service – The answer to non-compliance?
Recent news of a telephone ‘pill reminder’ service charging up to £80 per month to prompt the elderly or disabled to take their medication[1] highlights the problem of medical non-compliance. But are services like this the right solution to an issue the World Health Organisation has called ‘a worldwide problem of striking magnitude’?
The latest ONS statistics point to a difficult future for pensions
According to the Office for National Statistics, the old age dependency ratio (which measures the proportion of people above state pension age to those below) will continue to rise over the next twenty years. This is despite the planned increases to state pension age, already underway for women. Inevitably, this will lead to calls to raise state pension age further and faster, to prevent catastrophic implications for the public finances.
Building a National Care Service White Paper – Prevention and Well-being
One of the six pillars of the future National Care Service will be “prevention and well-being”. The vision is to encourage and support people to lead healthy lifestyles in order to keep them independent for longer. A particular emphasis is put on the support people receive when a care need first arises in order to prevent it escalating. This is very important when it comes to keeping people in their own homes, which is not only preferred by most people, but is also less costly than residential care.
Building a National Care Service White Paper – Technology and Care
On the surface, the Government’s ‘Building a National Care Service’(1) White Paper is good news for assistive technology and telecare.
Lo and behold, pensions are an election issue
The Conservatives last week launched their latest set of election posters. One sarcastically depicts Gordon Brown announcing ‘I took billions from pensions. Vote for Me.’ After years of relatively harmonious consensus on pensions policy, the gloves may be off. We should not be surprised: there are huge questions regarding both state and private pension provision that have yet to be answered by policy-makers.
Building a National Care Service White Paper – the funding model
It is widely accepted that the UK is experiencing rising demand for care services – and given the rise in the ‘oldest old’, needs may also become more severe. The White Paper[1] commits the Government to establishing a National Care Service whereby care needs will be met, like the National Health Service, for free at the point of use. Yet the Government ruled out in an earlier Green Paper the idea of a service funded by general taxation.