Lack Of Public Toilets Mean Older People Have 'nowhere To Go', Says Help The Aged

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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Reacting to The Provision of Public Toilets, a report from the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, which calls for local authorities to develop a public toilet strategy to ensure more toilets are available to the public, Pamela Holmes, Head of Healthy Ageing for Help the Aged, says:

"Today's report rightly recognises how crucial it is to have accessible public toilets in local areas. Recommending local authorities develop a public toilet strategy is an important step towards improving dignity and general health and wellbeing.

"More than half of older people simply do not go out due to a lack of toilets in their area(1). It's shameful. For those who do decide to brave it, Help the Aged has heard stories of older people not drinking so they won't need to go to the toilet, or carrying a water jug, just in case they need it.

"The importance of toilets to public health and wellbeing needs to be recognised by all Government departments and local authorities must do everything in their power to ensure people have 'somewhere to go'. Having a public toilet strategy is useful, but local authorities should be legally obliged to provide toilets in public places - local authorities should be keen for people to spend a penny in their local area."

Notes

'Nowhere to Go', a report from Help the Aged summarises a survey of older people's views on public toilet provision. The report is available from http://www.helptheaged.org.uk Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities - which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect.

Help The Aged