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Night Sitter-in Service.
Both the London County Council and the Camberwell Old
People's Welfare Association have made arrangements for
attendants to sit up throughout the night with elderly invalids
in emergency cases or where relatives or friends, who are caring
for the old person, are in need of a few nights' rest.
Holidays for Old People.
In the early part of the year the Council gave consideration
to the establishment of a Holiday Home for Old People somewhere
on the coast. In view of the approach of the summer
months, however, it was decided to adjourn the matter until
the autumn and a grant of £500 was made to the Camberwell
Old People's Welfare Association to be spent in providing
holidays for old people at suitable boarding houses, etc. One
hundred old people were sent away for a fortnight's holiday
under this Scheme and in view of its success no further action
was taken in relation to the setting up of a holiday home under
the aegis of the Council.
Domiciliary Assistance and Supervision.
The district sanitary inspectors paid 125 visits to old people
known to the Department, The object of these visits was to
ensure that the old people were not living in insanitary conditions
and to report on their needs, such as home help or home
nursing services, etc., thus endeavouring to prevent the necessity
arising for securing the compulsory removal of any aged and
infirm person to an old people's home. It is gratifying to
record that in no instance during the year was it necessary to
invoke the provisions of the National Assistance Act, 1948, for
this purpose.
Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952.
This Act, which came into operation on 23rd March, 1953,
prohibits the sale or letting under Hire Purchase in the course of
business, all gas fires, electric fires or oil heaters without guards
or fitted with guards which do not comply with the standards
prescribed by regulations made by the Home Secretary. These
regulations, known as the Heating Appliances (Fireguards)
Regulations, 1953, came into operation on 1st October, 1953,
and require every heating appliance to which the Act relates to
be fitted with a guard which shall be robustly made and of such
standard of construction and fitting as is specified in the Schedule
to the Regulations.