Research Type: Ageing

In Northern Ireland, as in other developed countries, life expectancy is increasing and the population is rapidly ageing. However, official figures show that people in Northern Ireland experience more years of ill health or disability than any other part of the UK. The interplay between longer life and health has introduced the ‘compression of morbidity’ concept of the postponement of chronic disease and disability until later years. However, research conducted on the interplay between disability, health and ageing is limited and achieving a greater understanding of the impact of both an increase in the number and proportion of older people in the population on health and on disability levels is important to inform future policy and the delivery of services.

The research outlined below is part of a larger project examining significant forms of harm that can affect the elderly in Northern Ireland. These can be physical (falls, accidents, injuries), financial (income poverty, fuel poverty) or psychological (fear of crime). Figures show that these types of harm occur at a higher rate than crime, and are often much more detrimental. Also, it is argued that, by maintaining focus on crime, emphasis will remain on crime reduction strategies, increased spending in the police service, and policies of social control, resources which could be relocated to fulfilling the government’s responsibility towards older people through improved public polices and health care. The proposed NILS study examines the physical harms suffered by the elderly – specifically mortality due to falls, accidents, poisoning etc. The NILS allows analysis of the socio-demographic circumstances (such as age, gender, marital status etc) and socio-economic circumstances (e.g. education, social class, deprivation etc) associated with mortality in the elderly.