Older people would rather stay at home than going into care according to a recent survey.

Prudential found that of the people it asked, nearly eight in ten said they would rather make improvements to their houses in order to make them more habitable than move in to a care home.

That figure went up for married couples, with individuals seeking to stay with their partners in their houses in old age.

Ali Crossley, who heads up Pru's Lifetime Mortgages sector, said that the issue was becoming increasingly pertinent.

"More and more people are considering their home as a form of 'insurance' against difficulties they may face in old age," he explained.

"And home equity release schemes, or lifetime mortgages as they are known, are becoming increasingly popular," he said.

"By releasing equity in the home to pay for these improvements you are effectively letting the home pay for itself."