02: Who needs care?

Older people need most long-term care although for younger people, those who have had a serious accident, illness or disability may also need care.

Very often, care is something organised with or on behalf of the person needing care – a son or daughter for example.

The need for care increases as we get older. By age 65, one in five men and one in three women will need long term care at some time during their life. As people are generally living longer, we can expect the need for care to increase too.

Currently, around half a million people live in care homes, while many more get care at home, either from family or friends or professionally. In recent years, the trend has been for more people to have care in their own home, and this is generally what most people prefer.Last Updated