More than a million "miserable and lonely" old people in the UK should be cared for by Neighbourhood Watch groups, easing the pressure on the care services, a health minister has said.
The groups could perform some of the duties carried out by care professionals such as washing, feeding and providing support to pensioners, many of whom suffer neglect in this country, Norman Lamb told the Daily Telegraph.
Lamb, a Liberal Democrat, called on the public to do more for the elderly, warning that Britain's attitude to pensioners was "uncivilised".
The plan, which aims to reduce the number of old people being admitted to nursing homes, has the backing of senior government figures and has been welcomed by Neighbourhood Watch groups.
"The truth is that many people in this day and age live miserable lives," Lamb said.
"We have a national movement that looks out for whether our houses are being burgled, so should we not be thinking - all of us stepping up to the plate - about whether there are people on our streets who have care needs, or who might just be very lonely and could do with a bit of companionship?"
About 4 million older people are said to live alone, while there are about 170,000 Neighbourhood Watch groups in England and Wales.
Jim Maddan, the chairman of the Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watch Network and a Conservative councillor in Wandsworth, said: "We would encourage this. It is important for groups of members to be aware of the vulnerable people in their communities."
Lamb batted away suggestions the plan amounted to the government shirking responsibility for pensioners, arguing that care services and communities needed greater collaboration.
He also insisted that Neighbourhood Watch teams would not be a replacement for professional carers.
"Obviously things that become medical in nature have to be dealt with properly. We have to ensure that there are good standards but we shouldn't be prescriptive," he said.
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