Older People and Wellbeing

Although the UK population is living longer and is in better health than ever, older people are not getting any happier. There is some evidence that older people may be becoming decreasingly satisfied, lonelier and more depressed and, due to demographic changes, there are increasing numbers of older people, many of whom are living with low levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing. This is particularly so if you are poor, isolated, in ill health, living alone, in unfit housing or rundown neighbourhoods and worse still if you are a carer or living in a care home: and all of these risk factors apply to a large proportion of the UK's older population.

This report, the first in a series on older people and wellbeing from ippr, describes some of the key social trends in the UK and assesses how these may be impacting on older people and their wellbeing.