A survey of 2,000 UK adults has found one in six elderly people have kept a serious injury, illness or accident a secret from friends and family in the past five years.
With ten million over-65s living in the UK, these numbers suggest that over 1.5million elderly people are keeping their problems a secret from loved ones.
The survey, which was commissioned by support provider Centra and questioned people aged between 65 and 93, found that 12% of this figure worried that they’d be seen as being incapable of looking after themselves if they told a friend or family member about a problem.
Half of the individuals questioned claimed they did not speak to friends or family because they feared they may over-react with two out of three confessing they didn’t want to worry them.
11% of those surveyed explained they didn’t approach their relatives because they were concerned about having to go into hospital.
Speaking about the findings, Age UK’s Caroline Abrahams said: ‘Worrying as these figures are, they come as no surprise.
‘With the constant conversation about the impact of our ageing populations on NHS costs and the rest of society, older people will often go out of their way to avoid involving friends and families when they have an accident, serious injury or illness.’
If you or an elderly family member or friend has suffered an accident or injury that was not their fault, and you need legal representation, we can help. Visit our dedicated website www.personal-injurysolicitors.com or call 0800 028 2060 to speak to one of our helpful team.