 |
The Sheltered Housing Network Supporting All Involved in The Provision of Sheltered and Supported Housing |
Residents lobby Parliament
Residents lobby Parliament
|
|
|
Article Published in The Cambridge
News Tuesday, February 12, 2002 OAPs'
sheltered housing call A GROUP of pensioners visited the House of Commons to ask ministers for more positive policies on sheltered accommodation. Among them were Mona Perkins, 70, of Haig Court, Chesterton, Cambridge, and Maureen Gough, 66, of The Views, in Huntingdon, who both live in private sheltered housing run by McCarthy & Stone. They met MP Eddie O'Hara, joint chairman of an all-party subject group on ageing and older people, to discuss a recent report by the Centre for Policy on Ageing. Mona said: "The report finds that there is a general lack of awareness about what private sheltered housing is all about and I can testify to that. "It is often assumed that if you live in a retirement flat it's either in an institution or old folk's home, or it's provided by the council. "A lot of people don't realise that flats like the one I live in are purpose- built and intended for sale. They are designed for people I personally call the 'younger old', who want a manageable property but are not in need of personal supervision." Many older people end up paying residential home fees, or staying in large houses they cannot manage and become dependent on others. The report calls for more research on the issue of sheltered housing. Maureen said: "I think it's essential to wake people up to the benefits of private sheltered housing. It gives people their own space with the option of socialising with other people their own age." |
|
|
