Vince Cable

When Vincent Cable MP visited staff and elderly residents at the White Farm Lodge care home in Whitton on Friday, he was confronted by a sprightly octogenarian campaigning for a high speed modem to improve access to the internet.

Miss Joan Marlow is in her mid 80s, and a resident at the home for 4 years. She acts as Secretary to the residents' committee and publishes minutes, meticulously, after every meeting.

Vincent Cable visited the Home to discuss residents' concerns, which include the very poor quality of pavements in Whitton High Street. These prevent frail and wheelchair bound residents getting out from the Home and have led to several accidents. After the meeting Miss Marlow also made the case for better internet access.

Vincent Cable said: "It is easy to fall for stereotypes of the very elderly in residential care homes as being both incapable and old-fashioned. But there are plenty of highly capable and mentally alert people in their 80s and 90s. Miss Marlow is a remarkable lady who has just completed a book on the Albert's area of Richmond and operates an up-to-date laptop. She is fully on top of the technology and is frustrated that the people who designed and built the care home never envisaged the residents as needing a high speed connection so that they can surf the internet."