Older People
In recent years there have been dramatic improvements in life expectancy. Over the next ten years it’s expected that the number of people in Wiltshire aged over 65 will increase by around a quarter and the number over 85 will increase by over a third. Whilst a large proportion of people will live full active lives, an older population typically has more complex health and care needs.
The information presented below provides a more detailed picture of how outcomes for older people vary across Wiltshire and is designed to help communities to understand local issues and to develop community-led work to improve local outcomes.
The information below covers the following areas:
Links to other thematic areas
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Percentage of the population aged 65 years and over
In recent years there have been dramatic improvements in life expectancy with people across the UK enjoying longer lives. 21% of the population in Wiltshire are aged 65 years and over and it is anticipated that the number of persons within this age bracket will increase by over a quarter (27%) over the next ten years. The proportion of persons aged 65 years and over is either equal to or exceeds the overall Wiltshire proportion in all community areas with the exception of Amesbury, Calne, Chippenham, Tidworth and Trowbridge.
Definition: Proportion of the community area population aged 65 years and over.
Data Source and Time Period: Mid year population estimates, Office for National Statistics, 2018.
Percentage of the population aged 85 years and over
3% of the population in Wiltshire are aged 85 years and over and it is anticipated that the number of persons within this age bracket will almost double over the next ten years (an increase of 47%). The proportion of persons aged 85 years and over is either equal to or exceeds the overall Wiltshire proportion in all community areas with the exception of Amesbury, Tidworth and Trowbridge.
Definition: Proportion of the community area population aged 85 years and over.
Data Source and Time Period: Mid year population estimates, Office for National Statistics, 2018.
Persons aged 65 years and over supported to live independently
In 2018/19, the rate of people aged 65 and over receiving support to live independently was notably higher than Wiltshire's average rate (45 per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over) in Amesbury, Chippenham, Corsham, Devizes, Salisbury, Tidworth, Trowbridge and Westbury community areas.
Definition: The number of persons aged 65 years and over supported to live independently, expressed as a rate per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over.
Data Source and Time Period: Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care Team, 2018/19.
Number of registered care homes
As at January 2020, there were almost 200 registered care homes across Wiltshire with the greatest proportions located in Salisbury, Chippenham and Trowbridge community areas.
Definition: Number of registered care homes in Wiltshire.
Data Source and Time Period: Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care Team, January 2020.
Safeguarding concerns involving persons aged 65 years and over
A safeguarding concern is a sign of suspected abuse or neglect that is reported to, or identified by the Local Authority. In 2018/19, the rate of safeguarding concerns reported in relation to people aged 65 and over was higher than Wiltshire's average rate (27 reports per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over) in Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Corsham, Devizes, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade, Salisbury and Southern Wiltshire community areas.
Definition: Reported safeguarding concerns relating to persons over 65 years and over expressed as a rate per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over. A safeguarding concern is a sign of suspected abuse or neglect that is reported to, or identified by the Local Authority.
Data Source and Time Period: Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care Team, 2018/19.
Safeguarding enquiries involving persons aged 65 years and over
A safeguarding enquiry is the action taken or instigated in response to a concern that abuse or neglect may be taking place. In 2018/19, the rate of safeguarding enquiries undertaken in relation to people aged 65 and over was higher than Wiltshire's average rate (8 enquiries per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over) in Amesbury, Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade, Salisbury and Southern Wiltshire community areas.
Definition: Safeguarding enquiries relating to persons over 65 years and over expressed as a rate per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over. A safeguarding enquiry is the action taken or instigated in response to a concern that abuse or neglect may be taking place.
Data Source and Time Period: Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care Team, 2018/19.
Carers aged 65 years and over known to Carers Support Wiltshire
Many people rely on the day-to-day care and support of carers to help them maintain their independence. Carers are people who provide unpaid care to a child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is in need of support because of age, addiction, mental or physical impairment or illness. In January 2020, over 4,000 carers aged 65 years and over were known to Carers Support Wiltshire, equivalent to a rate of 41 per 1,000 persons within this age bracket. Rates of registered carers either equalled or exceeded the Wiltshire rate of 41 per 1,000 persons in Amesbury, Calne, Chippenham, Corsham, Devizes, Salisbury and Trowbridge community areas.
Definition: Carers aged 65 years and over known to Carers Support Wiltshire expressed as a rate per 1,000 persons aged 65 years and over.
Data Source and Time Period: Carers Support Wiltshire, January 2020.
Carers aged under 65 years known to Carers Support Wiltshire
Many people rely on the day-to-day care and support of carers to help them maintain their independence. Carers are people who provide unpaid care to a child, relative, friend or neighbour, who is in need of support because of age, addiction, mental or physical impairment or illness. In January 2020, approximately 5,000 carers aged below 65 years were known to Carers Support Wiltshire, equivalent to a rate of 13 per 1,000 persons within this age bracket. Rates of registered carers were lower than the Wiltshire rate of 13 per 1,000 persons in Amesbury, Bradford on Avon, Malmesbury, Pewsey, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade, Southern Wiltshire, South West Wiltshire and Tidworth community areas.
Definition: Carers aged under 65 years known to Carers Support Wiltshire expressed as a rate per 1,000 persons aged under 65 years.
Data Source and Time Period: Carers Support Wiltshire, January 2020.
Social isolation in adult social care users and carers
The table above shows the Wiltshire response rates to questions asked in the Adult Social Care Users Survey and the Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers (both 2018/19) that asked service users and carers if they had enough contact with other people. This information is only available at a Wiltshire, as opposed to community area level.
In 2018/19, 45.6% of adult social care users in Wiltshire aged 65 years and over reported having as much social contact as they would like. This is similar to the 43.5% reported nationally. In terms of carers, 11.7% of carers aged over 18 and 13.4% of carers aged 65 years and over were satisfied with their levels of social contact, both of which are significantly lower than the percentages reported nationally (32.5% and 34.5% respectively).
Definition: Social contact in adult social care users aged 65 years and over: The percentage of respondents to the Adult Social Care Users Survey 2018/19 aged 65 years and over who responded to the question "Thinking about how much contact you've had with people you like, which of the following statements best describes your social situation?" with the answer "I have as much social contact as I want with people I like".
Social contact in adult carers aged 18 years and over and 65 years and over: The percentage of respondents to the Personal Social Services Carers Survey 2018/19 aged 18 years and over and 65 years and over who responded to the question "Thinking about how much contact you have had with people you like, which of the following best describes your social situation?" with the answer "I have as much social contact I want with people I like".
Data Source and Time Period: Adult Social Care Users Survey and Personal Social Services Carers Survey, NHS Digital, 2018/19.
Hospital admissions due to falls in persons aged 65 years and over
In 2018/19, the rate of hospital admissions involving people aged 65 and over as a result of falls was higher than the Wiltshire average rate (2,135 enquiries per 10,000 persons aged 65 years and over) in Calne, Chippenham, Melksham, Salisbury, Tidworth, Trowbridge and Westbury community areas.
Definition: Emergency hospital admissions in persons aged 65 years and over for falls injuries classified by primary diagnosis code (ICD10 code S00-T98) and external cause (ICD10 code W00-W19).
Data Source and Time Period: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital, 2018/19.
Percentage of persons aged 65 years and over receiving the flu vaccination
The percentage of persons aged 65 and over in Wiltshire receiving the flu vaccination in 2018/19 was either equal to or higher than the Wiltshire wide coverage (75%) in all community areas with the exception of Amesbury, Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Devizes, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade, Salisbury, Southern Wiltshire, Westbury and Wilton.
Definition: Flu vaccine uptake in adults aged 65 and over, who received the flu vaccination in a primary care setting (GPs).
Data Source and Time Period: Flu vaccination data, NHS Immform, 1st September 2018 to the end of February 2019.
Percentage of the eligible population aged 40 - 74 years offered an NHS Health Check who received an NHS Health Check by community area
As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease or type 2 diabetes. NHS Health Checks are available to adults in England aged between 40 -74 years of age and are designed to help people live healthily for longer by checking circulatory and vascular health to identify any early signs of disease.
51% of eligible persons aged between 40-74 years of age in Wiltshire who were offered an NHS Health Check also received one in 2018/19. The proportion of persons who were both offered and received an NHS Health Check was lower than that reported across Wiltshire (51%) in Amesbury, Calne, Chippenham, Malmesbury, Melksham, Pewsey, Salisbury, Warminster and Westbury community areas.
Definition: Percentage of the eligible population aged 40 - 74 years offered an NHS Health Check who received an NHS Health Check
Data Source and Time Period: NHS Health Check Data, 2018/19.