In most parts of the world, the 80-and-over age group is growing faster than any other, and is expected to continue as the fastest growing segment of the population for at least the next 50 years.

World Population Ageing: 1950-2050, United Nations Publications 2001

The global population is expected to witness dramatic changes in age profile - just as it did at the end of the 20^th Century.

Researchers at the University of Bedfordshire have worked to ensure that health requirements for the elderly are better understood.

Research by the University’s L. Rodriguez-Manas has confirmed that care given to older patients in a geriatric environment, rather than a traditional hospital, is more likely to be effective in allowing people to stay at home after treatment.

This research can improve the lives of the elderly in our community as well as reducing the increasing financial burden on our hospitals.

Dr Ramasamy Venkatasalu’s collaborative research into end-of-life care has examined the prospects for older South-Asians living in East London.