30% dread old folk's homes

People view the prospect of ending up in an old people's home with fear and hostility, a survey claimed yesterday.

The report disclosed that of the over-50s polled, 30 per cent of people dreaded the thought of going into residential care. Sixty per cent believed residential care should only be a last resort when people develop dementia or are too frail to live alone.

The survey by Barchester Healthcare among more than 1,000 middle-aged men and women also showed that few knew how to find suitable long-term care.

Although only 7 per cent of respondents expected their children to care for them in old age, nearly two-thirds said they would have no idea where to look for guidance if they needed to find a home for an elderly relative.