Britons ‘burying head in sand’ over future care

In addition, the Bupa survey found that half of those polled worried about spending all their savings on care, with 42 per cent claiming that they would rather pay for care than be a burden on their family.

Only a third of people have the right debt management in place for them to enable them to support themselves in retirement, with others hoping that the state, a partner or family will do so.

Dr Clive Bowman, medical director of BUPA Care Services, said: “It is deeply worrying to see people taking an attitude of ‘it won’t happen to me’ as it encourages a reluctance to face reality.

“Planning for ageing badly is increasingly a necessity. If people think now about how they would wish to be cared for – should the need arise – they will be better prepared for later life.”

This survey follows warnings earlier this year that Briton’s current generation of pensioners are already struggling with debt management, prompting fears that the problem will only get worse over time.