News

Less than two-thirds of people in care homes are visited by relatives or friends every week compared with 81 per cent in private households, according to new statistics on older people's health in England.

The Health Survey for England 2000 shows that 4 per cent of people aged 65 and over are resident in care homes, with women more likely to go into a home than men.

Three in 10 residents were in a care home for less than a year compared with a fifth who were there for five years or more.

The survey also found that residents in care homes were less likely to eat fruit and red meat than people in private households and were more than twice as likely to suffer anaemia than people in private homes.

The report also says that three out of four care home residents are severely disabled, with senile dementia the most commonly reported cause.

- The Health Survey for England 2000 interviewed more than 4,000 older people living in care homes and private households. It is at www.doh.gov.uk/public/summary1.htm