Labour have announced today a review of elderly care funding to end what they rightly call a care lottery.

The trouble is that firstly they have said they want to make things fairer for the elderly requiring care but haven’t exactly said how. Only suggesting a few options that could be considered. Secondly you can’t go round inventing policies that affect one aspect of one sector of the community (albeit a major one).

Yesterday they announced a review of official retirement age, also fine, but shouldn’t it be considered as one of a range of measures that improve the quality of life of Britains people through their passage from working life to retirement life to elerly care and dependency?

Council officers endlessly talk about creating provision and support for those wanting to remain at home, then there are those with disabilities. Travel and leisure requirements and extra pressures on the NHS, not to mention actual pension levels  and other state entitlements.

It’s one thing Labour saying something needs to be done (It’s shameful by the way, that it’s taken 12 years for them to realise that!), but we need joined up thinking, cross agency/service working and genuine consultation with the elderly and the wider public.

Let’s face it we all hope to get there one day.