Published: 14/03/2002, Volume II2, No. 5796 Page 8

More than half of 2,000 people polled by charity Help the Aged across the UK believe that older people face 'blatant discrimination' in health, social care and work.The study concludes that age is used to ration resources in the NHS.Nearly 50 per cent of the people polled said that older people are viewed as a burden to society.The report suggests that local authorities have a financial incentive to encourage older people to go into institutional care rather than stay in the community, which is forcing them out of their homes and into residential care. Excluding older people from the job market has a 'dramatic impact on physical and mental health, and costs to the economy of an estimated£31bn in lost production'.

www. helptheaged. org. uk