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The elections are finally here and many citizens are mulling over which way to vote. Everyone is thinking about what the pledges politicians are making have in store for them. Nursing care home residents have not been left out. In fact, it is fair to say that they have been at the front of it all, with some pushing to mobilize the aging to go to the polls. If you live in a nursing centre, you might feel isolated and out of touch with the outside world. And since you have almost everything done for you, you might get to a point where you feel that you do not need to know what is going on .You may even sink to some kind of apathy and believe that the democratic process does not need you. However, this reasoning is poisonous. Elderly people have been around longer than anyone else has and therefore their input into the national dialogue could prove decisive. Take a step back and ask yourself; are nursing care home residents included in the election campaign? What is my place in the elections? Indeed, the figures here seem to swing in favour of the elderly when it comes to participation in previous elections. In the UK elections of 2010, an incredible 76% of those over 65 took part, compared to a dismal 44% of those between the ages of 18 and 24. However, when it comes those in care homes, the turnout was markedly low at 20%. It seems that those at nursing centres are willing to vote but there are no mechanisms in place to encourage them or give them the moral wherewithal to play a part. The blame in this case has rested firmly on the shoulders of the political infrastructure in the country. However, things seem to have taken a different swing over the last few years. The current government has already pledged to put a cap on the cost of care. The pledge of the government is that by 2016, mechanisms targeted to easing the financial burden on care residents shall come in place. A new cap, set at £72,000 will be introduced on the costs of home care per person. This means that you will not have to pay over the top to enjoy nursing care privileges, which comes as a welcome relief to most elderly people, with thousands being forced to sell their homes in order to fund their stay in centres. From a wider construct, we have over 4 million people in need of care services. However, less than a quarter currently get help from the state, meaning that they have to rely on family and friends. This places a huge burden on economically active citizens, which is why there has been a sustained push towards the recognition of those accessing care services at home and those in nosing centres. Are nursing care home residents included in the election campaign? It certainly seems so when you look at the figures involved. As we draw towards the elections, the call of the elderly is strong. Nursing care home chippenham residents need to lend their voice to this call, because in doing so, they send out a strong message that they are a focal point of reference in the direction politics and the economy take.
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