Seanad debates
Tuesday, 15 April 2003
Government Policy and the Provision of Services for the Elderly: Statements.
We also need to look at the area of security and of older people living in large houses, which are normally their main asset, when in effect schemes should be looked at to transfer this asset into a means for provision of care in their later years. I want to highlight an instance recently where an elderly person wanted to go into a type of sheltered housing. I could not get her on that housing list because she owned her own house, a substantial asset. She wanted to hand over the house to the local authority, which could have accommodated a large family. All she wanted was to be put on a list, but that could not be done until she sold her asset and went into some type of temporary accommodation. We must adopt a degree of flexibility in approach and we must be more serious and pro-active in facilitating people who have a substantial asset and who actually want security.
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