Society: Domestic strife takes toll on elderly

Domestic violence is a key cause of growing homelessness among the elderly, according to new research.

Nearly two-thirds of old people living on the streets or in night shelters have been ejected from their homes as a result of marital disputes or family breakdown, and a third have been unable to keep up payments on their home after losing their job or retiring, a report published by the Policy Press says. The report, Older people and homelessness, a story of greed violence, conflict and ruin, by Derek Hawes, lecturer in housing at the University of Bristol, says that official figures fail to reflect the extent of the problem. "I was astounded by the number of cases in which violence drives people out of their homes. Granny bashing and fights between partners appear to be rife." - Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor