Life 'getting worse for elderly'

One in three elderly people in the North believe life is getting worse, a startling new report revealed today.

With pensioners increasingly plagued by loneliness, the deteriorating day to day conditions are more widespread than the rest of the UK.

Help the Aged, which commissioned the study, has demanded urgent government action to address the neglect and isolation.

Grace Henry, the charity’s Northern director, said: “Far from being people’s twilight years, this report shows the reality of growing older is much darker.

“It is not acceptable that people’s lives are getting worse or not improving as they get older.”

The report, Spotlight on older people in the UK, brought to light issues such as: poverty; neglect; ageism; isolation and future deprivation.

Out of those questioned for the GfK NOP survey, 32% declared their quality of life in the last 12 months had worsened – compared with a 28% UK average.

More than one in five (21%) in the North stated that they were often or always lonely, compared with 13% in the UK.

Ms Henry said the alarming figures meant immediate moves must be taken by the Stormont administration.

She added: “By 2044 one in four people in Northern Ireland will be aged 65 years and over.

“Every effort must be made to put a stop to the hardship faced by many older people.

“Our local government needs to put into action for pensioners the commitment towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy; we need greater and more meaningful action in tackling social exclusion among older people and; research to investigate the increasing number of excess winter deaths among older people.”