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 Research objectives
To explore longevity and the ageing population, in order to inform the OU’s understanding of the issues and identify the implications for curriculum development.

The key research objectives were:

  • To explore how the topic of longevity is being discussed by Government, NGOs, other universities and interest groups;
  • To identify the implications of an ageing population for health and social care, pensions, working patterns and housing provision;
  • To summarise which other universities (in the UK or overseas) have developed or positioned their curriculum to explicitly address the issue of longevity (e.g. introduced specific departments, courses or? qualifications on this subject);
  • To highlight the key longevity issues that should be covered by the OU.

 Methodology
The research combined desk research and depth interviews with experts in this area.

Information gathering took three main forms.

  • We reviewed market intelligence already gathered by the OU to draw out key insights.
  • Additional secondary desk research and depth interviews were conducted to supplement the research already gathered by the OU.
  • Sources consulted in the external desk research and depth interviews included government departments and websites, NGOs, charities, general media and academic bodies.
 Conclusions & Insights
There is a trend away from traditional models of caring for and indeed thinking or talking about the ageing population.

A central premise is that the traditional models of health and social care are unsustainable as the population ages.

The strains on the funding and organisation of traditional health and social care systems are becoming ever more evident. Organisations are trying to ‘think outside the box’ as the existing model of the young supporting the old through tax and the old supporting themselves through pensions is becoming untenable.
Another key aspect of the changing debate on ageing is the growing distinction that is being made between the ‘younger-older’ and the ‘older-old’. The distinction is between those older people who are in need of care and support and those who are not only able to live independently but are also able to make an active contribution.

The Department of Work and Pensions sees retirement as an increasingly active phase of life where people have opportunities to continue contributing to society by working longer or volunteering in their communities and take personal responsibility for their own wellbeing by working, saving and looking after their health
What was clear from the research is that the ageing issue is about far more than health and social care provision; it affects all aspects of life. Indeed, many of the issues of ageing do not simply concern older people but affect the entire life course.
Organisations such as the Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Institute for Public Policy Research maintain that traditional ways of caring for older people are not sustainable and new models need to be developed. These new models will focus on prevention, early intervention and management to enable care at home and/or in the community rather than in hospitals or care homes. In addition, there is a growing need for informal care and more volunteering

A key challenge is to build new community institutions capable of sustaining people through the changes ahead and to adapt social structures already in place, such as family caring, public services, workplaces and neighbourhoods. This requires a different role for the state, one that is more about establishing partnerships with families and communities than traditional service delivery.
It is important to take a holistic view of the ageing population issue, looking at multiple aspects of ageing relating to extending working lives and ensuring financial independence, including:

  • Changes in employer attitudes;
  • The need to help older people re-skill and adapt to changing working environments;
  • The need to improve pension provision and make it more flexible;
  • The need to make better use of wealth tied up in housing

What was clear from the research is that the ageing issue is about far more than health and social care provision; it affects all aspects of life. Indeed, many of the issues of ageing do not simply concern older people but affect the entire life course.

The implication for the OU is that it is right to be thinking of breaking out from a narrow health and social care remit. How to organise and fund the health and social care system is already well covered elsewhere and the most interesting and innovative work now is being done in non-traditional areas.