North Yorkshire people are living longer these days - more than a year longer, on average, than ten years ago. That means more active older people in good health, but also more people (especially the very old) living with on-going conditions such as arthritis, dementia, heart problems or osteoporosis.
The number of families caring for loved ones continues to rise, with the sharpest rises amongst those providing the highest levels of care. The number of carers over 65 is increasing above any other age group.
Care and support for older people takes up the greatest share of resources in the NHS and social care. So it's important to get this right - and if we make services work well together for older people, we can be confident that they can work well together for everyone else, too. People can feel in control of their lives and are able to make decisions and choices for themselves and be valued as part of an community.
