Shadow housing minister Jack Dromey held a summit on housing for older people yesterday.
He said it is part of Labour’s ‘emerging housing policy’.
The number of people aged 65 and over in the UK is set to grow from 10 million in 2008 to nearly 17 million in 2033, and 60% of all new household growth will be in over 65-year-olds.
Dromey said: “Labour wants to help older people and those in need of care to stay in their own homes as long as possible. Labour wants to support those who wish to downsize. And Labour wants to ensure that, if people need to go into residential accommodation, it is of a quality that one would expect for our mums and dads and that the nation can be proud of.”
Dromey and Liz Kendall, Labour’s shadow minister for care and older people, joined a round table hosted by McCarthy & Stone.
Gary Day, land & planning director for McCarthy & Stone, said: “When older people look to downsize into accommodation that is better suited to their needs, many are forced to fight on in their existing property or move into residential care. This is no choice at all.”
Separately, Peter Girling of specialist provider of rental accommodation for older people, hit out at the Government over last week’s so-called planning shake-up.
He said it was disgraceful that older people were not mentioned in any of the initiatives and criticised former housing minister Grant Shapps for talking a lot but not actually doing anything.
See Peter Girling’s blog on LAT today.
Comments
I am looking for a place for my 82 year old mother to downsize to. Most 'retirement' places are little better than badly planned shoeboxes. For somewhere that is meant for older persons there is absolutely no sign of that in the planning or outfitting of the apartments, witness laundry rooms far away, under-worktop appliances, cupboards instead of drawers, baths instead of showers etc. etc. Also, overpriced in the private sector, minging in the council sector, and no facilities for socialising in most places.
for the Elderly, the whole of the South Coast is known as Heaven's waiting Room.
If one has ever had the misfortune of experiencing the overwhelming, distinctive stink of cabbage and mash potato in a Macstone Dungeon Block it is easy to understand why there needs to be a civilised alternative.
Perhaps if Labour hadn't been complicit in a system that raided pensions, endowments and annuities and has forced savers to raid their equity rather than spending interest on investments then provision for the elderly would be less of a problem.