Buckinghamshire Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022 to 2025
Age well
The picture in Buckinghamshire
| Improving places and helping communities to support healthy ageing | The older adult population in Buckinghamshire is growing: there is estimated to be an extra 20,426 people aged 65 and over in the next 10 years (a 19% increase) | Nearly two thirds (61%) of life expectancy at age 65 is estimated to be in good health in Buckinghamshire |
| Improving mental health support for older people and reducing feelings of social isolation | Levels of loneliness rose more in Buckinghamshire than the national average during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one quarter (24%) of adults felt lonely at least some of the time in 2021 | Just over half (57%) of those thought to have dementia in Buckinghamshire have been diagnosed – meaning they may not get the early help they need |
| Increasing the physical activity of older people | 61% of people in England aged 55-74 are active, this falls to 39% in those aged 75+ (2020/21) | 13,975 adults aged 65 and over accessed leisure centres across Buckinghamshire during 2019/20 reducing significantly to 9,037 in 2021/22 |
What you've said to us
Improving places and helping communities to support healthy ageing
“The Social Isolation Guide is a great document and will be really useful”
“The library is such a great place and always seems to have wonderful events happening”
Improving mental health support for older people and reducing feelings of social isolation
“I found the information very helpful. Everyone has been very understanding and polite. Made you feel quite at ease”
“Extremely good experience with an empathetic interviewer who listened to me as well as informing me of decisions to be made”
Increasing the physical activity of older people
"It's only a mile walk from here to the sports hall. We walk past it all the time. I don't know if we are allowed to just wander in for a look. If they had a sign outside saying, 'do drop in', that might encourage us to go in"
"I've seen so many people have new knees, new hips, and if keeping fit helps me to stay away from that scenario, that’s why I'm doing it … that’s the only thing I'm interested in, just not seizing up like a lot of other people my age.”