€24bn to adapt homes for elderly

ADAPTING homes for an ageing population will cost €24 billion over the coming years.

The government's agency for housing, Anah, believes €4 billion will be needed to upgrade homes over the next decade.

The average cost of carrying out work to help older people continue to live independently is €7,000.

The work could range from adapted baths and showers to ramps and stairlifts.

The agency, which gives financial aid to low-income households to help them improve their homes, estimates 830,000 households could be eligible for help.

Two thirds of the 9,300 elderly people injured in falls do so in their own homes and only 18 per cent of over-80s believe their homes are suitable.

By 2060, 5.4 million people in France will be aged over 85, the majority wishing to remain in their own homes.

Today, 92 per cent of 80- to 84-year-olds live in their own homes, dropping to 71 per cent for those aged 90-94.

"We've evaluated the needs in terms of four categories of independence, from those who are relatively independent to those who need a lot of care, and estimated how much it would cost according to their relative needs," study adviser for Anah, Soraya Daou told Le Figaro.

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