Middle aged Britons are burying their heads in the sand over the huge cost of

Elderly care should be free for all but the rich, say over-55s

Middle aged Britons are burying their heads in the sand over the huge cost of long term care, according to research by health insurer Aviva.

Nearly three quarters of over-55s say they don't think they should have to pay for long term care - even though there have been countless reports showing that the current system just isn't sustainable with a rapidly ageing population.

Of those over-55s who said they should pay towards care, the consensus was that the fair cost over a lifetime for care would be just £3,610. A fairly typical nursing home can cost £1,000 a week at the moment.

But while 81% of those over-55s surveyed said they were "worried, concerned or terrified" about meeting care costs, most simply said it was up to the wealthy to pay for their own care with the government helping the rest.

More than half of over-55s have no plans at all in place to meet these costs and 14% believe that the government will cover all the fees. Currently, the government does not help out with car fees for older people with assets of more than £23,250.

In July, the Dilnot Commission said the state should help out with care costs when an individual had assets of less than £100,000 and that no-one should pay more than £35,000 in care costs in their lifetime.