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(3D
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT. 1948. SECTION 47.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE (AMENDMENTTACT. 1951.
Statutory visiting of old people who come under the above Act is
carried out by the Public Health Department. There was no compulsory
removal under the National Assistance Act, 1948, but one lady was
removed under the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951, and brief
details of this case are as follows:-
An old couple, husband aged 92 and wife, aged 87, were reported to
be living in very unsatisfactory, unhygienic and neglected conditions
and were not receiving care and attention from anyone. A visit
confirmed that this wag correct, and although a Home Help, meals and
laundry services were immediately provided, it soon became obvious that
they needed nursing care and attention. Although the old man was
willing to go to Hospital, his wife, who was senile, refused to go, and
it was therefore necessary to obtain a Compulsory Removal Order under
the National Assistance (Amendment) Act for her to be detained in
Hospital for three weeks, the maximum period prescribed by the Act. At
the same time arrangements were also made for accommodation to be
provided in Hospital for the husband. He died from cerebral thrombosis
a few days after admittance and the old lady died a few months later.
The details of old persons as they become known are recorded in the
Department and the number, although fluctuating, is on the increase.
Number of cases recorded in 1954. 184
do. do. deaths recorded in 1954. 39
do. admitted to Hospital and Institutions
during 1954. 62
do. admitted to Homes during 1954. 33
Re-visits to known eases. 1,004
Total number of recorded cases. 582
Number of cases referred to other Authorities
and Organisations, or miscellaneous. 32
CHRONIC SICK.
The aged and chronic sick are often solitary without dependants or
relatives, and it is important that they should be visited periodically.
It is regretted that there is still all over the Country an acute
shortage of beds for the chronic sick. In Fulham, in order to ensure
that available beds are allocated to the most urgent cases, the Medical