Elderly are isolated by lack of loo
NIKI TENNANT
Older people in South Lanarkshire could be experiencing loneliness and isolation because the council does not provide public toilets, according to a charity.
Age Scotland, the national charity for older people, has named and shamed South Lanarkshire Council as among the three Scottish local authorities that do not provide public conveniences.
And it says closures have a serious impact on older people who may be reluctant to spend time in places without access to a toilet.
All public toilets across South Lanarkshire were closed between 2013 and 2016 as part of a council drive to cut costs.
Age Scotland wrote to all 32 Scottish councils ahead of yesterday’s World Toilet Day, urging them to make toilet provision a budget priority.
The charity insists clean, accessible public toilets are absolutely essential for many older people and those with disabilities to get out and about and enjoy a decent quality of life.
Its research has found that almost half (44 per cent) of older people in Scotland said that they would use public transport more if they could rely on provision of toilets.
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland’s chief executive, said: “While many are quite rightly standing up for sanitation in the developing world, we are urging Scottish councils to look closer to home and ensure the retention of public toilets.
“We know from speaking to older people that clean, accessible public toilets are absolutely essential for many to be able to enjoy a decent quality of life. They help older people with certain medical conditions and incontinence to live as normal a life as possible, being able to travel and interact with services and the local economy.
“For many, if there is no provision for public toilets, they simply will not leave their home. This means less socialising, less shopping, difficulty attending medical appointments, and a surge in loneliness and social isolation.”
Age Scotland’s campaign follows a call earlier this year for a pilot to be rolled out in Cambuslang that sees shops, pubs and other businesses opening their toilets to the public.
Mum Natalie Sutherland, who has campaigned for public toilets in the town for years, described the initiative as the perfect solution in the absence of a dedicated council-run facility.
The comfort scheme, proposed by South Lanarkshire Council, encourages town centre businesses to open their toilets to noncustomers free of charge, instead receiving an annual fee from the local authority.
Natalie said: “I’ve got a three-year-old, so you end up in Wetherspoons or Costa Coffee and asking to use the toilet without being a customer,” she said. “You do feel a bit cheeky doing that, but this new scheme would remove any awkwardness.”
A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “The council continues to allow access to toilets within our offices and SLLC facilities.
“We are also undertaking a ‘comfort scheme’ pilot project in Lanark, allowing members of the public to use the toilets in business premises, during their normal working hours. Many of these offer wheelchair access and baby changing facilities. Once complete, in August we will evaluate the scheme, bringing a full report to the relevant committee. I have responded directly to Age Scotland to this effect.”