| Over 50 percent of the people in the U.S. who are | | | | The elderly are more likely to suffer from health |
| older than 75, live alone. They usually stay in rooms or | | | | problems like arthritis and rheumatism, eye disorders |
| single homes which lack even the basic amenities such | | | | and hearing disabilities. They are more prone to suffer |
| as central heating. What they need is a sheltered | | | | due to hypothermia (low body heat), especially during |
| housing with furniture and equipment that are designed | | | | winter. They may even be suffering from psychiatric |
| to cater to the needs of elderly people. Although the | | | | problems such as Senile Dementia (Alzheimer's |
| house provides the elderly with the freedom and | | | | disease), which is a psychiatric illness that affects the |
| privacy they need, at the same time, it also attends to | | | | brain. |
| them and provides them with the necessary support | | | | To meet the aging needs, the government provides |
| at the time of an emergency or panic situation. | | | | certain benefits which include retirement pension (for |
| Similarly, the care workers in residential homes look | | | | men over 65 and women over 60), attendant |
| after the social needs of the residents. The common | | | | allowance provided to severely ill or disabled people |
| aging needs include provision of stair lifts and extra | | | | over 65 who need constant care, Christmas bonus |
| rails (to facilitate easy movement of the elderly | | | | (for people over 65), cold weather payment, winter |
| between floors), provision of hand rails in showers and | | | | fuel payment, income support, housing benefit, Council |
| toilets to avoid accidents, provision of powered | | | | tax benefit, free prescriptions, dental treatment and |
| vehicles for commuting, provision of alarms, to seek | | | | eye tests from the National Health Service. |
| immediate help in the case of an accident. | | | | |