It is accepted that when older people can stay in their own homes rather than in institutions, their quality of life is more easily maintained.

That has led to a proliferation of companies offering aids to comfortable living for older and disabled people so that they need less support from helpers.

Sadly that has, in some cases, meant vulnerable groups of people have been exposed to hard selling in their own homes by sales people with little or no conscience.

There are, of course, honourable exceptions, but it does seem that a lot more needs to be done to protect such people from unscrupulous sellers of what is often much-needed mobility equipment.

Anyone who has ever found themselves trapped in their own home in the company of a double-glazing salesperson, desperate to close a sale, will know how great can be the pressure to buy something without having the opportunity to think through carefully whether this is the best product for your needs.

Most of us who invite a visit to our homes will have a rough idea of what we are seeking and a good sense of how far our budget will stretch but there are always those who need some help and advice and a hungry salesperson is not the best person to give it.

How much more is this the case when unfamiliar equipment, such as a stair lift or a bath hoist, is being purchased.

The Parliamentary All Party Group on Older People is campaigning for better protection for older and disabled people and for some sort of regulation over unregulated and direct sales of specialist equipment.

But so far the Government has no plans for direct action, preferring to allow the industry to police itself.

It does look as though, in the absence of Governmental intervention, there may be light on the horizon in the form of a registration scheme run by the Healthcare Trades Association.

It requires sellers of mobility or similar aids to apply for registration and to submit their company to an independent vetting scheme which requires references and some concrete evidence of their qualifications.

The association has set up a code of conduct to which the company must agree and there will be spot checks to ensure the rules are being adhered to.

It is at least an attempt by the Healthcare Trades Association to police itself and can only be welcomed by those whose work brings them into daily touch with the disabled or elderly.

There were similar moves some years ago to monitor the sale of hearing aids in a market where there was little or no regulation and it does seem to have worked, on the whole.

If you have an NHS hearing aid and are thinking of up-grading to a digital aid, there are a number of questions you should ask and the Auditory Department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital can give you a list.

Perhaps the new registration scheme will do a similar job for other living aids which make it possible for older and less able people to have a better quality of life and remain in their own familiar surroundings.

This might be something that Better Government for Older People would want to take an interest in and help monitor.