Feb 15

MPs Call For Govt To Address Elderly Housing Problems

Matthew

More help should be given to elderly people in the UK so they can adapt their homes to suit their changing needs and reduce the number moving into residential care, MPs have urged in a new report.

The Communities and Local Government Committee’s Housing For Older People document highlighted the problems faced by the ageing population to stay safe and comfortable in their homes.

The report noted that this group of people’s issues are diverse, but called for a “national strategy, which brings together and improves the policy on housing for older people”.

Among the suggestions are readily available handyman services to make repairs, adaptations and maintenance to enable residents to stay in their homes for as long as possible.

The green paper also recommended all new properties be made to Category 2 Building Regulations standard so they adequately satisfy people’s needs as they get older; it called for councils to address how they intend to deliver appropriate houses to the elderly; urged lenders to improve customer service and guidance for older people applying for mortgages; and to increase access to shared ownership and equity.

This strategy is urgent, the MPs claimed, as 18 per cent of the UK population was over 65 years of age in 2016. What’s more, the number of people 85 and over looks likely to double over the next 25 years.

One thing that elderly people do need to change in their home is their bathroom. As they become less mobile, walk-in baths or easy access showers are much easier to use than standard facilities.

By making these adaptations to their bathroom, they will be able to wash themselves more easily without any help. Therefore, they will stay independent and in their own home for much longer – a liberty most people want to hold on to as they get older.

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