OPINION

ISLAND life seems to be conducive to longevity and a considerable proportion of the population is over the age of 80. Fifty years ago, families took it for granted that they would care for parents and grand-parents, and so not much attention was paid to building homes for them: those who had no-one to look after them were cared for by the nuns. But social habits have changed, and most women go out to work, meaning that there is no-one to look after granny. A waiting list of 1'800 indicates just how serious the problem is. Many families cannot afford the fees charged by private homes, and by law, the government cannot subsidise places in them. The homes it runs charge 75 percent of the pensioners' income, hence the growing demand.