Bedford's older people let down by Labour

"Labour is letting down the elderly in more ways than one" says Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner.

Monday July 28 was the 100th anniversary of the introduction of old age pensions. Henry Vann, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner for Bedford and Kempston has been drawing attention to the growing plight of elderly people in Bedford.

Mental Health

The number of older people is set to rise markedly (by 2031 nearly three million over 85s, compared with 1.2 million in 2006 and 0.6 million in 1981).

With mental health problems increasing as well, we could have a problem on our hands. Many carers are themselves elderly and in an at risk category.

In Bedford, there are a number of charities which provide a high quality of care for those suffering, but this will not be enough as capacity requirements increase

There are over 5,000 older people who are beneficiaries of pensions credit in Bedford alone in this vulnerable group.

"There are older people living in Bedfordshire who are in desperate need of the kind of personal care that goes beyond social care - the vulnerable and those at risk need regular help" said Vann.

He continued, saying: "We need a personalized care system which really focuses on outcomes and addresses the needs of older people directly" adding: "I agree with Help the Aged and the Institute for Public Policy Research, both of whom say that we need a patient-focused community support structure providing regular local care."

Social exclusion

A decline in access to services (including post offices and transport), adult education, and social activities has added to the concerns that older people are becoming socially excluded - another problem that shows no sign of slowing.

A report out on Tuesday (July 29) from Help the Aged suggests that older people will need greater access to training and education in order to adapt and feel part of today's society.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Henry Vann, said:

"I have been told of at least one elderly woman in the Bedford area who is worried that, should she die, she would not be found for two days at least. This situation is unacceptable and needs to be resolved.

"It is vital that, rather than creating second-class citizens - as Labour seem to be intent upon - we offer older people the services they need; this means not closing post offices, not allowing the cost of bus travel to skyrocket, and ensuring that these services are accessible."