Darlington, like our country, is ageing.  By the year 2050 it is estimated that one quarter of Britain’s population will be elderly.  Although much has already been done to help older people I believe as a society we need to do more still so that our country’s senior citizens are able to enjoy dignity and respect in old age. 
To take one example.  As Britain ages the pattern of our health, leisure and care services will need to change.  As the post-war baby boomer generation grows old it seems unlikely to me that they will tolerate the inevitability of a council deciding in which care home they should live out the remainder of their lives.  Most people will want to make their own choices to make sure they are right for them.  Some will want to choose a care home.  And they – and their carers – will need more information to help them make that choice an informed one.  Since we now rank NHS hospitals according to the quality of the services they provide, shouldn’t we be making it easier for people to see the same for care homes?   Why not give care homes a star ranking like hotels have? 

And I think older people’s choices should be extended in another way.  Many older people may want to be cared for in their own homes by people they choose with budgets they control.  In the NHS patients are already able to choose their hospital.  And in social care direct payments already allow some older and disabled people to customise care according to their own need.

I think the next stage is to for the Government to give far more people the option of controlling their own individual budgets so that rather than having to choose from a pre-ordained menu of services they can formulate their own menu.  Some older people could use greater control over how the money for their care is spent to buy services like help with cooking and cleaning.  By letting older people design their own care in this way many would be able to live independently but with proper support.

Do you agree?