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As we get older, choosing somewhere to live comes with new priorities, with influences such as access to green spaces, quality of elderly care, ambulance wait times and even - maybe - where you can get hold of a decent fish and chips.
To help inform your decision, we’ve analysed the best towns and cities from across the UK based on some of the things that are most important to the older generation.
We’ve identified the best places for older people to live in the UK, evaluating a range of cost, health and life-style related factors.
Best city for elderly care
The city scored 77/100 across various cost, health and lifestyle factors
Best retirement town for older people
The town scored 53/100 across various cost, health and lifestyle factors
Best for older people in numbers
A third of the population is aged 65+
Best for cheap retirement properties
Average property price is
less than £140,000
Best for quality of care
All 20 care homes within 10 miles have a CQC rating of Good or above
Best for longer life
Average life expectancy is 85 for men and 87 for women vs. national average of 81
Best for fish and chips
The city has more than 235 venues offering the dish
Best market town to retire to
The town scored 52/100 across various cost, health and lifestyle factors
We’ve considered several factors, including elderly population, cost of care, average life expectancy, quality of care provision and ambulance wait times to identify the best city for older people requiring care.
The North East town of Tynemouth has come out on top in terms of best provision of elderly care.
With yearly care cost averaging out at around £31,000, the town offers more affordable options for older people needing additional support. Boasting almost 200 care homes, 90% of which have a CQC rating of Good or higher and a care home to elderly person ratio of 1:71, Tynemouth is a promising location for anyone considering elderly care.
Coming out in last position for elderly care is Coventry.
The city offers affordable care but its care home to elderly population ratio is 1:389. With just 71% of care homes in the city having a CQC rating of Good or higher, the city received the lowest score for quality of care.
*Data analysis conducted for cities and towns in England
As we get older, we may need a little support to help us remain safe and independent.
A monitored personal alarm with 24-hour emergency resolution from Taking Care provides reassurance that help is available in any emergency, including falls or medical situations.
Have the freedom to maintain an active lifestyle, with reassurance help is available wherever you are.
An Out-and-About Personal Alarm will also work in your home so you can get help from Taking Care's Emergency Resolution Team any time of the day or night.
If you would like to use our Taking Care "Best Retirement Towns and Cities" data then get in touch!
We'd love to share our insights and research with you.
Elderly population percentage
Life expectancy for local areas of the UK: between 2001 to 2003 and 2018 to 2020.
Life expectancy per area
Subnational trends in the average number of years people will live beyond their current age measured by “period life expectancy”.
Care homes rated "Good" or above
Care Quality Commision (CQC) score
Percentage of care homes rated Good or higher in a 10 mile radius .
Number of care providers offering at-home care
Elderly care in your area (care homes and home care).
Number of fish and chip shops
Venues offering fish and chips as a mile within a 10-mile radius.
Lifestyle score
Overall lifestyle score based on average score for number of green spaces, English heritage sites, fish and chip shops and bingo halls. Score is weighted from 00, with 100 being the highest score.
The "Best Places in the UK for Older People to Live" has been created by Taking Care
If you liked this, you might also like the articles and guides in our Resources and Advice.
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