With a 31pc increase in people aged over 65 in 15 years, organisations and individuals are working hard to handle what many see as a crisis – the ageing population.

Norfolk County Council spends on average £1m a day on adult social care in Norfolk, with around 14,000 people using its services day to day. More still are looked after by family and friends.

The county has an older population than most in the UK, which is predicted to increase at a higher than average rate too. In 2017 the county council decided to implement a new strategy called Promoting Independence, to tackle shifting population.

Bill Borret, chairman of the council’s adult social care committee, said: “It is really about keeping people well and in their own homes. It feeds into everything the council does.

It also means that the money the county council has will go further, we are not spending it on intensive care because people are keeping independent for longer.

“We have a large elderly population in Norfolk which is great, because I’m all for people living longer, but it does mean there’s a lot more dementia. We have to adapt where we can. Budget pressure is a great driver for change.

“We are planning to build 3,000 housing UK units across Norfolk, which was launched recently. There’s a recognition that because of the changing population we need to have different types of housing. “I’m quite pleased with the progress we have made as a council.

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