By Megan, Eva, David & denden The Elderly By Megan, Eva, David & denden

Population There has been a huge increase in the elderly living longer. This is down to improved health services and better living conditions. At the moment there are 1 million elderly people living in Scotland which is a quarter of the population. Although people are living longer there are a few down sides. The government are going to have to pay out more pensions which they cant afford. To try and resolve this they have put the retirement age up to 65. Women are not happy about this mainly because they will have to work longer.

The Rich and The Poor Only 12% of the elderly get a pension from working when they were younger and women get even less than men. . Single pensioners are the worst off because they are more likely to live in a house that is expensive for heating. Pensioners who live in rented accommodation only pay 30% of there income on rent and the poorer and older pensioners spend less money on food and fuel. Poor elderly people don’t get good pensions and the government are thinking of cutting the pensions because they can’t afford them. Elderly people in Britain receive a variety of help in meeting their health and housing needs.

Housing needs The most important need of the elderly is good and suitable housing. These homes are specifically designed to meet the needs of the elderly. However sometimes in these homes the standard of care is very poor. The residents can go a whole month without fresh air in this style of living. On the other hand if the standard of care is high and the people are looked after well, and are well fed and have proper exercise then life expectancy can possibly increase or the elderly have the option to live at home and be cared for by family and close friends. The down side of this is that special appliances may have to be fitted such as stair lifts, wheelchairs, ramps and sliding doors. These all cost a lot of money.

Residential homes Residential homes are one of the more expensive options usually run by local authorities, private companies and voluntary groups. In residential homes the elderly receive more one on one care. In a residential home people are not given the same amount of freedom as they are in sheltered housing. Some homes have been accused of putting profit before welfare of the elderly. Some of them have staff without the right qualifications and are cruel to the residents.