ABSTRACT
Since the turn of the century most industrial countries have seen a marked shift in the age structure of their populations. People are living longer and having fewer children, with the result that the proportion of older people has been steadily rising. This “greying” of society is predicted to continue well into the 21st century, with a consequent pressure on services to the elderly that is becoming of increasing concern to policy planners. In Britain, the numbers of those aged 75 or more will rise by 23 per cent between 1976 and 1996, while the proportion of very elderly people (aged 85 and over) will increase by 42 per cent in the same period (Walker, 1981). Similar trends for other countries are presented by Hendricks and Hendricks (1978) (see Figure 1.1) and Myers (1985).
