Social Care says the elderly want to stay in own homes

Wed, 07 Mar 2012

Staff from Glenside protested over the closure outside the House of Keys yesterday

It costs almost 6 times as much for an elderly person to receive residential care than if they stay in their own home.

That's one of the statistics revealed in the House of Keys yesterday, as debate over the planned closure of the Glenside Residential Home continues.

It's estimated that it costs £39,000 per year to care for an elderly person in a residential home, compared to £6700 if they're in their own houses.

Douglas North MHK Bill Henderson asked how the closure of Glenside meets a motion he moved in Tynwald 4 years ago, which called for a greater understanding for the needs of the elderly.

But political member for the Department of Social Care Leonard Singer says the majority of older people don't want to go into residential care [play clip]