The UK faces an ageing crisis and healthcare must step in, England's chief medical officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, warns in his annual report.
People are living longer but some spend many of their later years in bad health - and that has to change, he said.
Based on projections, the elderly boom will be in rural, largely coastal, areas and these places are often poor cousins when it comes to provision.
In deprived regions, age-related issues emerge 10 years earlier, on average.
"We've really got to get serious about the areas of the country where ageing is happening very fast, and we've got to do it now.
"It's possible to compress the period of time that people spend in ill health...because otherwise we will end up with large numbers of people leading much more dependent lives."
Providing services and environments suitable for older adults in these areas is an absolute priority, the report says.
Source: BBC News, 10 November 2023
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