Lifespan Development in a Mixed Economy of Care Course This course on life-span development is designed to help you explore the issues related to the development of the life-span. Among the topics you will explore are: why people are living longer the impact of longer life-span on health & care services the influences on health at different stages in the life span how we can use the life-span model outlined in this course to plan for the future. The concept of life-span development is one that owes its origins to demography & epidemiology. Life-span trends & changes have an impact on the planning & delivery of health & social services. It is now recognised that individuals at different stages in the life-span will exhibit different needs. These needs are not due simply to the ageing process & disease patterns but also to the social & environmental influences at different stages. They are also influenced by what is perceived as rational & reasonable behaviour at particular points in the life-span. For example, skiing may be thought to involve acceptable levels of risk for young people & those in middle age. However it is not thought to be rational or reasonable for an eighty-year-old to start learning to ski.