West Cumbria Opportunities & Challenges 2025 66 67 Ageing Well West Cumbria’s population is ageing. For many older people, later life can be hugely enjoyable - presenting opportunities to take up new hobbies, spend time with family and friends and reap the rewards of years spent working and raising families. For others, quality of life is adversely affected by poor physical health, loneliness and poverty - factors which in turn are often exacerbated by living in areas of deprivation and having limited access to services.1 More broadly, a super-ageing population presents a variety of societal challenges including pressures on health, care, housing, welfare systems and labour markets. Agencies across West Cumbria, including those within the local VCSE sector, are working hard to alleviate the challenges presented by ageing, recognising that ageing well should be an opportunity afforded to all. 1The State of Ageing 2023-2024: Centre for Ageing Better, 2024, https://ageing-better.org.uk/resources/summary-report-state-ageing-2023 2Place based work areas are Flimby, Ellenborough and Broughton Moor in Maryport; Workington West in Workington; and Mirehouse, Kells and Woodhouse in Whitehaven, https://www.activecumbria.org/behealthybeactive/lets-move/ 3Local Health and Social Wellbeing: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Cumbria: Durham University, 2023. 4Proportional Change in Population shows how the age makeup of the population has changed over time. 5Briefing: Demography and Migration at Census Day 2021- Cumbria and Districts: Cumbria Intelligence Observatory, 2021, https://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/census2021/ 6How life has changed in Allerdale: Census 2021: Office for National Statistics, 2021, https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E07000026/ 7How life has changed in Copeland: Census 2021: Office for National Statistics, 2021, https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E07000029/ 8Local Insight, Population aged 65+: Census 2021, https://localinsight.org/ 9Pharmaceutical Needs Analysis: Cumberland Council, 2023, https://elibrary.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/17217/17220/4513512327.PDF 10Where have all the workers gone? Economic Affairs Committee Select Committee: 2022, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldeconaf/115/11502.htm 112018-Based Subnational Population Projections Statistical Summary: Cumbria Intelligence Observatory citing Office for National Statistics, 28 February 2023, https://cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/17217/17218/44719112613.pdf 12https://legacy.cumberland.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/327/6548/45012152556.pdf 13Census 2021 asked residents aged 5 years and over “Do you look after, or give any help or support to, anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age?” People were asked to exclude anything they did as part of their paid employment. Topic Summary Briefing Health, Disability and Unpaid Care at Census Day 2021: Cumbria Intelligence Observatory, 2021, https://cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Content/Internet/536/671/4674/17217/17220/44957112549.pdf • Committed partnerships continue to help older people meet their daily wellbeing needs, including through the West Cumbria Age Friendly initiative. • A network of welcoming Warm Hubs in rural and urban locations offer opportunities for older people to come together for support and companionship. • Older people dedicate their time and resources to support their families and communities providing care to others and volunteering to support local activities. Figures from Cumbria CVS’s Volunteering Database show one in ten people aged 55+ are from West Cumbria. • Partnership initiatives, including Active Cumbria’s Live Longer Better and place-based work in Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven2 are helping older people to stay physically active and healthy. • Private sector organisations are joining forces with the VCSE sector in West Cumbria to encourage older people to take up digital technology, including the Let’s Go Digital Unite scheme which is supporting older people gain the digital skills they need for everyday life. • Communities have developed a range of initiatives to alleviate the social isolation and loneliness felt by many older people, ranging from dementia friendly singing groups to rural transport schemes. • Cumbria Community Foundation’s annual Winter Warmth Appeal provides grant support to vulnerable older people to help them stay warm and well during the winter months. Free benefit checks are also offered by delivery partners. • West Cumbria’s population is superageing, and the number of younger age groups is decreasing. Older people will have greater demands for personal health and social care at a time when there are less people in the working age population to provide that care. • Increased pressures on social care and health systems, often exacerbated by poor access for those older people who are unable to travel or who live in rural areas. • Concerning levels of poverty reported for some older people, who are unable to heat their homes and purchase nutritious food. • The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a decline in the numbers of older people volunteering within VCSE organisations.3 • Pressures within the VCSE sector to maintain services for older people, giving the intensive nature of support often required and the growing numbers associated with an ageing population. • Persistently high levels of long-term illness and disability affecting older people – and their carers – including rising rates of dementia. • Higher that national average rates of people in West Cumbria providing unpaid care to people with long-term physical or mental health conditions related to old age. OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES West Cumbria’s population is super-ageing, and the number of younger age groups is decreasing. The ‘Speech after Stroke Club’ at The Centre in Maryport gives patients the confidence and support to participate in different activities each week.
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