Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
08 November 2013 09:49
Sixteen per cent of Britain's 10 million pensioners have hidden an ailment from their loves ones
No fewer than one in six of the UK's over-65s is concealing a serious injury, illness or accident from friends or family, research has suggested.
Some 16% of Britain's 10 million pensioners have hidden an ailment from loved ones because they fear losing their independence or believe they will be seen as a burden, according to a survey.
Of these, 12% said they thought they would be judged as incapable of looking after themselves.
Half said they wanted to avoid friends or relatives over-reacting, while two-thirds did not want to worry them and one in 10 said they were scared about being admitted to hospital.
The research, which highlights the importance of ensuring forms for seniors travel insurance have been filled out correctly, found that more than one in five over-65s fear they will be seen as a burden as they grow older.
This Morning television presenter Ruth Langsford, who is backing a campaign to stop older people suffering in silence, said she faced "some serious barriers" when talking to her parents about their wellbeing.
"My mum is a fiercely independent 83-year-old but she lives alone now," she said.
"We constantly worry that she is covering up problems and concerns so that we don't see her as a burden."
The online poll of 2,000 UK adults aged 65 to 93 was commissioned by Centra Pulse, which provides personal telecare alarms.
Wendy Darling of Centra Pulse said more should be done to support older people at risk of covering up potentially serious problems.
Too many families will only start talking about care after some sort of crisis has already happened, she added. Taking out pre-existing medical travel insurance can guard against such a crisis happening overseas.
Age UK spokeswoman Caroline Abrahams described the figures as "worrying".
But she said they came as no surprise considering the "constant conversation" about the impact of our ageing population on NHS costs and the rest of society.
20 May 2017
Holidaymakers travelling via London City Airport will benefit from a digital air traffic control tower from 2019.
[more...]
19 May 2017
Many Britons are increasing their risk of developing diseases like cancer by drinking too much alcohol, experts have suggested.
18 May 2017
People could increase their chances of developing serious illnesses after spending just two weeks as a 'couch potato', new research suggests.
17 May 2017
Holidaymakers who would like to sample the high life can now do so at one of the major airports of the United States.
16 May 2017
A star of the soap world has called for more attention to be paid to common health problems like Alzheimer's disease.
13 May 2017
Two major Scottish airports have achieved their strongest April passenger totals on record, new figures reveal.
12 May 2017
The carbon emissions of EasyJet flights have been cut to their lowest level on record, the budget airline has reported.
11 May 2017
Holidaymakers faced long queues and delays at Stansted Airport on Tuesday (May 9), due to a fault with the site's security scanners.
10 May 2017
Workers have been encouraged to find out about their full entitlement to holidays, with many thought to be missing out on paid leave.
09 May 2017
Holidaymakers have been urged to stay vigilant against potential scams.
06 May 2017
Researchers in the US are recommending that anyone experiencing the symptoms of so-called 'noisy knees' should have them checked out, as they may be an early sign of osteoarthritis.
05 May 2017
Excessive drinking among baby-boomers could pose health risks further down the line, experts have warned.