09 July 2012 Engineers address technology's role in the care for
older people The UK's population of people aged 65 and over is
expected to rise by six million to 16.1 million by the year
2032. As people are living longer, the health services are under
increasing pressure to deal with conditions related to the
frailty that comes with age. Chronic diseases that are
associated with growing older such as Alzheimer's, type-2
diabetes and dementia are quickly becoming the biggest pressure
on health services around the world. The Royal Academy of
Engineering Panel for Biomedical Engineering and Age UK held a
joint conference in Sheffield on 16 May titled Cost-effective
care for older people: how technology can make a difference. It
provided insights into the role that engineering technology and
design can play in providing more effective and cost-effective
care and support for the UK's ageing population. Experts at the
conference stated that through engineering developments,
sufferers from long-term conditions can