Death of the family? Plight of the elderly in Britain

The Mirror highlights the tragic case of Ivy Allen who was left to starve to death despite having 10 children and 30 grandchildren.

Instead of being cared for by her family, Ivy - whose funeral took place yesterday in Warrington, Cheshire - spent her final months isolated and neglected in her council house.

Her grandson Anthony Bradbury, 24, told the Daily Mirror yesterday that he’ll never forgive himself for the way his grandmother died. Well, he shouldn’t and, more importantly, neither should her children.

It can be easy to judge without knowing the full facts. Nonetheless, this is an appalling way for an old lady to die, without any of her large family even noticing.

The article continues to highlight the plight of the elderly in the UK, and suggests Britain has one of the worst records for looking after the elderly.

Latest research from charity Age Concern shows that more than 3.5 million older people live alone and many do not have regular visitors or any opportunity to get out of the house.

One in five people over 65 are alone for more than 12 hours a day. They are more at risk of depression and ill-health caused by isolation and loneliness.

I find it heartbreaking that more than a quarter of people over 65 do not have a best friend.

Yet having friends can increase your life expectancy by seven years.

It concludes that we all have responsibility for the elderly in our society, starting with our own family.