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59
Transported Meals for Old People.—The British Red Cross
Society, Greenwich and Deptford Division, continued during the
year to run a very satisfactory scheme for "Meals on Wheels"
and the Council maintained the rate of grant at £200 per annum.
An average of a little over 130 meals per week were delivered
to old persons who were homebound and about 60 meals per week
were delivered to the O.A.P's Club in Swallowfield Road. For
these meals the recipients paid 8d. each and the balance was met
by subsidy from the London County Council.
Over 40 homebound persons had meals twice per week and in
the first half of the year the delivery service was running to full
capacity. There was some reduction in the numbers at midsummer,
when it is usually found that there are some old people who refuse
the meals. This, however, is seasonal and the advent of cooler
weather generally sees their names return to the delivery list.
There are instances where a lighter diet for the old people
would be preferable but the extension of the scheme to include
invalid diets would be very difficult to organise and at the moment
local facilities do not exist for an extension of this kind. In addition,
the need for such a service is problematical and any old person so
ill as to require a special diet should be nursed in hospital or admitted
to an old persons' home.
At the end of the year there were still facilities for a little
expansion of the scheme and the possibility of the inclusion of other
Old People's Clubs was under consideration by the W.V.S. and the
British Red Cross Society.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead.—Under Section 50 of
the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council is required to arrange
for the burial or cremation of any person who has died or has been
found dead in the Borough if in such cases it appears to the Council
that no suitable funeral arrangements have been or are being
made.
The Council is empowered, if it so desires, to recover expenses
for the burial or cremation from the estate of the deceased person or
from any person who, for the purposes of this Act, was liable to
maintain the deceased person immediately prior to his death.
During 1951 arrangements were made under the above Act for
the burial of 9 bodies (4 males and 5 females). The total expenses
of these burials amounted to £75 17s. 6d. of which the sum of
£39 3s. 7d. was recovered, making the nett cost to the Council of
£36 13s. 11d.