Covid’s Seismic Shock On Older People’s Involvement In Society Still Felt Five Years On

With the five year anniversary of the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown this month, the impact of the unprecedented health emergency is still being felt in the lives of many people aged 50 and over.

A new State of Ageing 2025 report reveals how life expectancy has not returned to pre-pandemic levels while healthy life expectancy has greatly declined.

There are also 213,000 more people aged 50-64 economically inactive now than in 2020, a significant indicator of how the pandemic brought years of employment progress for older workers to a shuddering halt.

The report also details a decline in rates of volunteering by older people in recent years with volunteer numbers struggling to recover since the pandemic.

And while older people are more likely to feel a strong sense of belonging, and satisfaction, with their neighbourhoods than younger people, rates of belonging and satisfaction have continued to decline among 50 to 64 year olds since 2020/21.

The findings add compelling evidence for the need of a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England – a proposal recently recommended by the parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee that also has the backing of more than 80 organisations and the vast majority of the general public.

Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:
“The Covid-19 pandemic was disruptive in so many ways to our everyday lives and many older people are still counting the cost to this day.

“What our State of Ageing 2025 report shows is since the pandemic, older people’s contribution to our economy and wider society has been diminished to a significant degree. People in their fifties, sixties and beyond are being deprived of the opportunity to help businesses and the economy grow, are missing out on opportunities to help their communities flourish through volunteering and ultimately, are losing precious years to ill-health and dying prematurely.

“These trends can no longer be considered just temporary blips that will resolve themselves. Unless we take specific action, the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to limit the potential of our ageing population to the detriment of all of society, the economy and our country.”

“A Commissioner for Older People and Ageing is urgently needed for England to ensure that government policy-making considers the long-term needs of our ageing population and helps to deliver a national age-friendly strategy that gives a voice to the groups and issues that are currently marginalised, as well as focusing on reducing inequality in later life.”

Dr Aideen Young, Senior Evidence Manager at the Centre for Ageing Better and co-author of the State of Ageing 2025 report, said: “Our new State of Ageing report clearly shows that the disruption created by the Covid-19 pandemic has not gone away for many older people whose lives aren’t as rich and rewarding as they were before everything changed in March 2020. We cannot turn the tide without a concerted and targeted effort to create a more age-friendly society that enhances everybody’s independence, inclusion and wellbeing in later life.”

“Government, both national and local, other public bodies, employers and individuals all have a role to play. But if we really want those efforts to be coordinated, efficient and maximised, then we really need a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England who can be the focal point for helping deliver this vital change to our country.”

“As well as appointing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England, to match the role already long-established in Wales and Northern Ireland, we are calling on the government to provide every local authority with sufficient resources to become an Age-friendly Community and for all local and strategic authorities to appoint an elected member to act as a champion for ageing and older people.”