People feel 'trapped' and 'excluded' by lack of public toilets

People feel ‘trapped’ and ‘excluded’ by lack of public toilets

Aug 25, 2023

A lack of public toilets means older people in Wales could feel “trapped”, according to the country’s commissioner for older people.

The warning comes ahead of the bank holiday weekend which could see many in the country “feeling excluded”.

Going out and taking part in activities with family and friends “can be difficult or impossible” due to the lack of toilets, commissioner Heléna Herklots warned.

According to a survey conducted by the commissioner, almost two-thirds of people over 60 in Wales found it difficult to access public toilets.

Research by the Royal Society of Public Health suggests over half of people drink less fluids before going out to reduce the need for the toilet.

The commissioner has called for local councils to work with businesses to increase the number of loos available to the public.

She added enjoying the bank holiday was “simply not an option for many older people”.

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“Older people regularly tell me that a lack of public toilets in their area can discourage or even prevent them from getting out and about and doing the things that matter to them, leaving people feeling excluded and ‘trapped’ in their homes, something reflected in wider research,” she said.

Ms Herklots said “longer-term strategic action at a national level” was needed to improve availability.

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The concerns are shared by the chair of the Wales Seniors Forum, Gareth Parsons.

“The closure of most of the department stores and their facilities has left many pensioners unwilling to visit town centres as they used to,” he said.

“There is a national toilets map but it’s online only which further isolates the digitally excluded – this is more than half of the pensioners in Wales.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of accessible public toilets which can help people lead active lives in their community.

“The Public Health (Wales) Act places a requirement for each local authority in Wales to produce a local toilet strategy for its area, in consultation with residents.”

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