A CAMPAIGNER for the elderly in Clydebank is calling on the government and council to accept responsibility after damning new statistics revealed people in deprived areas are more likely to die alone.

A study by researchers at Edinburgh Napier University has found people living in such areas in Scotland are 24 per cent more likely to die at home by themselves and are also less likely to die in a hospice or care home.

Rhona Young, who sits on West Dunbartonshire Council’s Community Alliance, believes there are a number of root causes behind the figures.

She told the Post: “Sadly I must agree with the stats. Due to ever increasing deaths from addiction and suicide and increasing longevity, it is inevitable that more lone deaths will occur.

“There are several reasons for this, namely that addiction and depression are often lonely paths in life and the elderly in particular are outliving their friends and today family can be scattered worldwide.

“Successive governments and councils must accept their share of responsibility by failing to maintain housing stock, running down the general appearance of areas, closing recreational facilities and particularly under-funding social care.”

Rhona refuted, however, that poor people do not receive equal opportunities to enter hospices or care homes, but that the demand is simply greater than the supply.

She added: “This can only get worse locally as the two new homes being built have a capacity which is lower than those scheduled for closure.

“Many older people resist the idea of leaving their homes and prefer to remain there for many reasons.

“Despite this, older Bankies are willing to care and share with others via foodbanks, homeless and animal charities etc. This generosity has been evident in the Clydebank Senior Citizens Forum over many years.”

In light of the figures, West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership insisted it is committed to providing the highest quality support to residents.

A spokeswoman said: “In many cases, individuals choose to die within the comfort of their own home, with their loved ones around them.

“HSCP supports residents to die in the place of their choosing with the support from our dedicated health and social care services.”

Dr Anna Schneider and Dr Iain Atherton analysed data on all 53,517 people who died within a year of the Scottish census 2011.

In the last 12 weeks of their life, 37 per cent of people in the least deprived areas lived with a family member or friend who was a carer, while only 28 per cent of those in the most deprived areas did.

When the statistics were adjusted to compare people of the same age, sex and cause of death – to isolate the effects of deprivation – the difference between areas was even greater.

Researchers also found people in the most deprived areas were 37 per cent less likely to die in a care home or hospice – 13 per cent died in a care home, 6 per cent in a hospice, 53 per cent in hospital and 28 per cent at home. They died on average aged 72.5.