SUPPORTING PORTSMOUTH’S OLDER POPULATION

Portsmouth, a compact, densely populated, ‘island’ city with a total population of just over 200,000. At the last Census, there was a pensioner population of 31,000, with 27,200 being 65 or over, estimated to grow to 35,000 by 2016. Also shown by the 2011 census there was a total of 37,000 people living in the city aged 60+, and 14,000 aged 75 and over. There will be an increase of 14% in the number of those aged 85 and over in the next decade. All electoral wards in the city will see an increase in the number of people aged 65 and over (28% in Nelson ward to 7% in St Thomas’ ward.

• By 2015 there will be 13,374 people aged 65 and over living alone. 10% of people aged over 65 feel often or always lonely. 16% of older people in deprived inner city areas experience severe loneliness.

• In 2007 there were 7,337 older people (60+) suffering from ‘income deprivation’, (19.3%) with Charles Dickens ward having the highest numbers and rates (1,332 – 40%) and Farlington the lowest (256 – 7%) 29% of lone older households in the private sector are designated as being of low income. 66% of private sector households whose dwellings need repairs stated that they could not afford to have them done.

• In 2001 a quarter of people aged 65 and over lived in accommodation without central heating. This has now been reduced to 15%. However Portsmouth has the highest ‘excess winter deaths’ rate of 19 ‘comparator authorities’ (over a 5 year period the highest rates were in central Southsea, Portsdown, and Wymering)

• In 2011 there were 16,000 older people with a stated long term limiting illness living in the city. In 2009, 700 people aged 65+ were registered as visually impaired, 800 as having hearing impairments, 2000 as physically disabled. Amongst private sector households with disabilities 55% walked with a frame or walked unaided but unsteadily.

• Over a thousand people older people over in the city suffer from some form of dementia. The number of dementia cases by surgeries varies with the highest number being recorded at Drayton.