You are here: Home: Council and democracy: Statistics and census data: Topic reports

Topic reports

Older people in Calderdale

Background

This is one of a set of Topic Reports published by Calderdale Council. The 2001 Census is the key source for this Report, since no other data-set compares in both its coverage and the detail it provides. However, the Report also uses some data from the health sector, indices of deprivation, and the Council's own information systems.  In addition, an Index of Need has been calculated from 2001 Census data to focus on circumstances affecting the quality of life of older people.

Purpose of the report

The objective of this report is to provide a demographic context and aide for those planning and providing services for - or affecting - older people, as well as providing an overview for those with a general interest in the issues involved.

The report's focus is on identifying geographical differences in the numbers and socio-economic situation of older people - both within Calderdale and between Calderdale and national averages. This includes concentrations of older people of different ages -and in particular older people living alone - as well as the housing, income and health situation of older people.

It is not the aim to paint a picture of what it is like to be an older person in Calderdale, but to keep a clear focus on the socio-demographic context within which services for older people are provided. No attempt is made here to assess the level or quality of services provided to older people.

Note: There is no single definition of Older People used in planning for older age-groups, so this report provides information on a range of age-groups:

This report provides the most reliable and comprehensive data available at the time of publication. The full report, available to download here:

Older People in Calderdale [PDF file 1844KB]|

concentrates on presenting this data in tables, graphics and maps, and comment is kept to a minimum. Below is a summary of the key points from the report.

Key points

• Age structure:
  • In terms of older people aged 50 - 64, 65+ and 75+, Calderdale slightly exceeds the West Yorkshire percentage, but is equal to, or slightly below, the national percentage for those above 65 years.
  • Due to lower life expectancy of men, older age-groups have a majority of women. The proportion is 50:50 in the 50-64 age-group but then becomes increasingly unbalanced so that women comprise three-quarters of the population of 85 and over.
  • As age increases, the proportion of people living in "Communal Establishments" rises markedly. For over 65 year-olds, Calderdale has significantly smaller percentages living in Communal Establishments than in West Yorkshire or nationally.
• Recent trends:
  • Official population estimates from 1991 to 2000 show that the pensioner population has actually decreased over the period.
  • Population estimates from 2001 to 2003 show a slight decline in the number aged 85 and over, whilst the total aged 75 and over has risen by about 100 (0.7%).
• Migration data for the last six years shows a slight "loss" of people in the 65+ age-group.
• Projections - future growth of the elderly population:
  • The official population projections for Calderdale used in the report - based on the 2003 population - were produced late in 2004, and show a quite complex picture, including:
    • a rapid increase in the number aged 65-74 after about 2008
    • a slight decline in the 75-84 population up to 2013, then rapid growth
    • fast growth in the 85+ population throughout the period (although this amounts to an actual growth in numbers of fewer than 100 per annum)
• Ethnic Group Profile
  • The older population is overwhelmingly White.
  • The Pakistani population, which comprises almost 5% of Calderdale's total population, makes up only 1.5% of the 50+ population and under 1% of the 75+ population.
  • In the Pakistani and Other ethnic groups, people aged over 50 comprise far smaller proportions of the population than is the case for the White population.
• Location and concentration of older age-groups in Calderdale:
  • In the 7 wards Brighouse, Elland, Hipperholme & Lightcliffe, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town and Warley, more than 17% of the population is aged 65 or over, with Skircoat showing the greatest proportion (19.1%). These figures are a result partly of the location of residential homes.
  • In the 4 wards, Greetland & Stainland, Illingworth & Mixenden, Ovenden and Park, 13% or less are aged 65+, the lowest proportion being in Park ward. The latter is a reflection of the fact that Park ward has a high ethnic minority proportion, which has a very young age-profile.
  • A similar distribution applies to the population aged 75 and over, with Skircoat again having the highest proportion (10.4%). Ovenden has the lowest proportion (5.5%); Greetland & Stainland, Illingworth & Mixenden, Ovenden and Park have under 6%.
• Health and care:
  • The two indicators "Not in Good Health" and "With Limiting Long-term Illness" display wide variation although the pattern is very mixed. For example, whilst the percentage aged 65-74 suffering from Not Good Health is highest in Park ward, for the 85+ population, Park ward's proportion is very low (although small numbers are involved). The most prosperous wards have some of the highest proportions aged 85+ Not in Good Health.
  • The Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) for the 65+ age-group show that Skircoat has the highest SMR for the 65+ population; this may be attributable to the number of residential and nursing homes in the ward. Park has a quite low figure, in contrast to its figure for the under 65 population. Only Ovenden and Illingworth & Mixenden have high figures for both age-groups.
  • Substantial numbers of older people are providing care, often many hours a week. Over 1,000 people aged over 75 themselves provide care to one or more relatives or friends, and over 500 provide more than 50 hours care per week. The figures showing the percentage of that age-group providing care are almost identical to those for West Yorkshire and England.
• Households and household facilities:
  • In the eight wards, Brighouse, Elland, Luddendenfoot, Northowram & Shelf, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town and Warley, pensioner-only households account for one-quarter or more of all households. Several wards have significantly lower proportions, with Greetland & Stainland and Ovenden having less than 20%.
  • Brighouse and Skircoat have the highest proportion of households with one person aged 75+ living alone. These two together with Sowerby Bridge have the highest proportion aged 85+ living alone.
  • Clear concentrations of older people live above 1st floor, in Town ward particularly but also Elland, Sowerby Bridge and Park. These are the areas with large numbers of purpose-built blocks of flats or conversions.
  • Lack of access to a car increases dramatically from the 65-74 age-group to 75+. Half of men and over 70% of women aged 75+ do not have access to a car, reaching 67% for men in Park ward and 82% for women in Ovenden.
• Deprivation, low income and need
  • Almost 7,000 people aged 60 or above live in households suffering income deprivation, equivalent to 17% of the total. This figure conceals a very wide range, from 8% in Northowram & Shelf up to 38% in Park ward.
  • A similar pattern is apparent for numbers of people of retirement age (60/65)+ living in households receiving Council Tax Benefit in April 2005, although the percentages are significantly higher.
  • An index of need, calculated from indicators from the 2001 census other than low income shows a number of areas outside Halifax, including parts of Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Ripponden and Rastrick, that score highly on the Index but do not rank highly on the income deprivation measure. There is a greater degree of consistency between the two measures in Park and Ovenden wards, although parts of Siddal and Sowerby Bridge are highlighted by the Index of Need.

back to top