Blog - ACRC publishes second briefing paper

'Emerging Findings: frailty and mortality during austerity'

Posted on 16th September 2021

'Emerging Findings: frailty and mortality during austerity'

A key aim of the ACRC is to model trajectories in frailty, wellbeing and social participation to better predict adverse outcomes such as mortality, hospitalisation or moves to care homes. The second in a series of Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) briefing papers presents initial findings on frailty and mortality and their interrelationship following the financial crisis and the associated period of austerity in the UK.

This briefing paper was led by Dr. Alan Marshall, who is also Director of the Research Training Centre

There is strong evidence to suggest that cuts to spending on social care and income support in later life played a significant part in driving the levelling off in mortality improvement. The timing and its increased impact on the poorest places   and people suggest this to be a plausible reason.   However, some countries that enacted strong   public spending cuts in response to the financial crisis, such as Portugal, did not experience a levelling off in mortality improvements and so   other factors are likely also involved.

Frailty has emerged as a key concept in research on population ageing and geriatric practice. In the period 2002 to 2010, analysis of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) suggests that there were increases in frailty in later born cohorts compared to earlier born cohorts.

 The full briefing paper, and others in the series, are available in the publications section of the website.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss any of the issues raised.

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