'Millions needed' due to expected rise in over-85s

THE number of people aged 85 and over is forecast to rise by 41% in the next decade in Carmarthenshire and social care spending would need to go up by tens of millions of pounds, a report said.

- RICHARD YOULE

The growing number of elderly people came at a time, it said, when the county's working age population was forecast to fall by just under 2%.

The council, which is responsible for social care, is planning for these demographic changes by increasing residential care bed capacity, among other measures.

A report before the authority's health and social services scrutiny committee said its social care bill for people aged over 75 was expected to increase from around £94m in 2024-25 to nearly £133m in 2034-35.

It added that spending on younger adults who needed care was forecast to rise from just under £75m to just over £100m in the same period.

This was partly due to younger adults with learning disabilities living longer.

While living longer, particularly living longer healthily, is positive, providing care for those who need help will have increasing implications for councils in terms of budgets and staff recruitment.