An important factor determining future health care expenditure is the relationship between ageing, health status and development of age-related disorders such as dementia.
CFAS and the Resource Implications Study (RIS) estimated the formal care costs associated with dementia in England and Wales between 1994 and 2031.
RESULTS:
Total costs per year were £0.95 billion (men) and £5.35 billion (women) using 1994 population estimates.
For 2031, costs were £2.34 billion and £11.20 billion, respectively.
Recalculating assuming reduced dementia prevalence rates and improvements in mental and physical functioning resulted in lower estimates: £1.01 billion (men) and £5.77 billion (women), and £1.65 billion (men) and £7.87 billion (women), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Future increases in the population aged 65 years or over lead to rising formal care costs. However, the magnitude of cost changes depends on assumptions over dementia prevalence and levels of mental and physical functioning.
References
RIS MRC CFAS, P McNamee, J Bond, D Buck (2001). Apocalypse now?: Cost of dementia in England and Wales in the 21st Century. Br J Psychiatry, 179:261-266
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