Healthy Ageing In Scotland: Pilot Survey Report

Abstract

Like most developed countries, Scotland has an ageing population. Currently, around 40% of its residents, some 2 million people, are aged 50+. Scotland will face many policy challenges associated with ageing over the next few decades, including how to meet the increasing demand for health and social care services, how to adapt to an elderly population with increasingly diverse social and economic characteristics and how to provide income support for those outside the labour market. A necessary condition for effective policy response to these challenges is a clear understanding of the economic, social and health-related conditions faced by older people in Scotland. The UK is a world leading centre for the development longitudinal and cohort studies. These have had a substantial influence on policy development in recent decades. However, Scotland has no longitudinal study that focuses on its ageing population. This report describes the development and results of the pilot survey for such a longitudinal study. The study is known as Healthy AGeing In Scotland (HAGIS).