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age. For example, it is no use providing Old People's Clubs for
old persons who have shown no aptitude for social mixing in their
younger days ; similarly, an extensive Domiciliary Library Service
will not appeal to old persons who in their younger days never read
a book. It is in the formative and middle years of life that people
must prepare themselves for old age : they must learn how to
approach old age and how to use to the full, for their own satisfaction
and contentment those faculties least blunted by ageing. This art
of living cannot be cultivated magically at the age of 65 or at any
other age when the signs of ageing are becoming apparent; it is
an acquired characteristic which can be encouraged and developed.
Too often an old person suffers from loneliness and neglect as
a result of his own inadequate personality and adaptation to
changing circumstances in adult life.
In former years preventive medicine was predominantly the
responsibility of the local Public Health Departments, but recent
legislation has distributed these duties among several authorities.
This may or may not be a desirable change but, in general, this
collective responsibility for the aged tends to be a disadvantage in
so far that no single co-ordinating authority exists for bringing the
elderly into close contact with all the facilities which are available
to them. Inevitably one finds that some aged people are inundated
with visitors from various organisations and that others are completely
bereft of callers. This duplication of visitors from various
authorities is not only uneconomical but can often be very disturbing.
This can be illustrated best by means of the following diagram
which shows the multiplicity of agencies concerned directly or
indirectly with the welfare of the aged and infirm:—