Who will take care of our rising number of elderly people? (From Bournemouth Echo)

Who will take care of our rising number of elderly people?

3:28pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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THE number of elderly people living in North Dorset is set to soar over the next decade, creating a crisis in the affordable housing market and leaving many more elderly people isolated.

That’s the warning from the National Housing Federation, which is predicting a 45 per cent rise in the number of over 65s living in the district by 2020.

Federation manager Catherine Brabner said: “We need to ensure there are enough affordable homes built for young people on modest wages in these communities, so they can continue to work in and support key services like local shops, public transport and care and support services.”

Some 20,500 pensioners will live in North Dorset within the next 10 years – putting the district in the top three “grey” areas in the entire south west of England.

“We’re calling on rural local authorities to deliver the homes required. They also need to assess what housing and support services will be needed to serve the growing older population.”

Wayne Morris, chief executive of the Spectrum Housing Group, whose subsidiary, Signpost Housing, manages the housing stock previously owned by North Dorset District Council, said: “We need to be developing a ‘life time home’ approach to new housing so homes can be adapted as the occupant becomes older. This is something that the Spectrum Housing Group is working on.”

David Aitchison, chairman of the Blandord branch of Age Concern, said the charity, and other local agencies like the DT11 Forum, were trying to meet the challenge “head on”.

Cllr Peter Webb, chairman of the district council, said: “We have 700 affordable homes in the pipeline and about the same number of people on our waiting list. We are on track to wipe out the affordable housing deficit in North Dorset within five years.”