'Its OK Granny, You Spend Your Savings And Enjoy Yourself', Says Great Britain
A vast majority - 85 per cent - of the British public agrees that older people should spend their savings on enjoying themselves. A mere seven per cent disagree.
Young people are noticeably supportive, with 84 per cent of 16-24 year olds agreeing that older people should spend their money and enjoy life.
These findings come from a survey carried out by MORI for Audley Court, pioneers of assisted living developments, to assess the nation's thinking about lifestyles for older people, including how and where they want to live. The survey was conducted with 1,957 people throughout Great Britain during September.
Commenting on the findings, Nick Sanderson, managing director of Audley Court said: "It is good to see a more positive attitude towards life in later years. Property ownership over the past two decades has created a nest egg for many older people and increasing affluence overall means younger people are happy to see their relatives spend that money on a good quality of life."
Granny flat gets the thumbs down
When it comes to where to live, moving in with the children gets a firm thumbs down from older people. Only five per cent of people aged 55+ said they would prefer to move in with their family if they could no longer manage without help.
There is strong resistance to residential care with only 16 per cent preferring a nursing or residential home. A third say they would never consider going into a nursing home in any circumstances.
The most popular preference among older people (55+) is to live in their own home with help from trained care professionals (47 per cent) or from family and neighbours (38 per cent).
Do your own thing in your own home
Says Nick Sanderson; "Today's older generation are smart consumers who are used to choice and control over their lives and they are not willing to relinquish that lifestyle. Whatever their income, they want to hang onto independence and do their own thing, in the comfort and privacy of their own homes."
On a more downbeat note, the research also found that just over half the public (59 per cent) agrees that the older you get, the more people treat you as a child. Women are more likely to hold this view than men (62 per cent versus 56 per cent). Says Nick Sanderson, "Too often, older people are pigeon-holed as 'the elderly' and treated as if they could no longer decide for themselves. It is time to remember that older people are mature and experienced adults, and treat them accordingly."
Audley Court develops 'assisted living' - independent accommodation for older people, that combines secure and comfortable housing with a range of housekeeping and care services.
Technical details
This study was carried out face-to-face, in home, by MORI. 1,957 adults aged 16+ were interviewed throughout Great Britain between 2-7 September 1999 in 149 sampling points. Data is weighted.
