The county’s population age structure is older than the South East region and England as a whole. This presents challenges in relation to the demand for and provision of services, but also in the way that older people are perceived and included in the wider community.
There are approximately 94,000 people aged 65 to 74 years and a further 89,000 aged 75 years and over in West Sussex. This equates to an estimated 183,000 residents who are over retirement age. There are some small areas of West Sussex where more than 50% of the resident population are aged 65 or above. In particular, small areas within the wards Rustington East, Rustington West, East Preston with Kingston, and Ferring have a largely older population.
Moreover, the population of older adults is projected to increase nationally and locally. In West Sussex, the population of adults aged 70+ is projected to grow at the fastest rate. In 2039, more than 30% of the resident population is projected to be aged 65 or older.
Over the next 25 years, the number of adults aged 65+ admitted to hospital due to a fall is projected to nearly double, rising from 3,940 admissions in 2014 to 7,330 in 2039.
The information for ageing well is presented under several headings (which will increase as we update the website with more topic-specific pages over time). These are:
- Population and service data – later life
- Physical and mental health and wellbeing in later life
- Dementia
Please note: we are currently updating the West Sussex JSNA site so please check back soon for updates.