BELGIUM: Ageing Belgians Fear Loss of Independence

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Expatica), October 29, 2007: Three of every four Belgians are worried about losing their independence as they grow older. Thirty percent are not certain if they will be able to pay for the care they will need in this phase. Seventeen percent say they are certain they will not be able to afford it. These are some of the results that emerged from the retirement survey presented by SwissLife on Monday. The survey also indicates that almost half of the Belgians say they are unable to put money aside at the moment to cover the care they will need later on. This is particularly a problem among young people. At least 64 percent of the Belgians would like to continue to live at home and receive home care if necessary. 43 percent however expect they will end up in a rest home. Copyright Expatica News 2007