§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people assessed as being elderly mentally infirm. [149792]
§ Dr. LadymanData is not collected on the basis of elderly mentally infirm.
The research quoted in the older people's national service framework estimates that approximately 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have dementia. It is estimated that about five per cent. of people over 65 have dementia, rising to about 20 per cent. in the population over 80. It is also estimated that at any point in time about 10 to 15 per cent. of the population over 65 will have depression.
Although the main mental health problems among older people are dementia and depression, there is also a considerable number of older people with other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.