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85
and watching brief is the Medical Officer of Health. Environmental
health, which plays a vital part in maintaining the moral of the
aged, is his prerogative and his department, being the centre of
a collection of loosely-knit organisations, is likely to be able to
ascertain very early on whether a break-down in home-care is probable
and if so, what methods can be expected to provide a satisfactory
solution.
So often one finds, in this connection, that the nearer one
approaches the home the less enthusiastic are the people who have
to bear the burden of caring for the old folk. This formidable
obstacle of "family strain", so inimical to the maintenance of a
smooth-running home-care system must be surmounted and a family
genuinely seeking to do its best for its older members deserves
our full and continued support. With this aim in view and with the
co-operation of the Geriatrician at St. Alfege's Hospital, short-term
admissions are arranged for the elderly to enable relatives to take
a well-earned holiday.
Age often brings with it many disagreeable side effects such as
failure of muscular powers, loss of memory, accident proneness,
introspection, etc. Adjustments to environmental changes are
badly tolerated and minor ailments which, in the young, occasion
only a day or so of discomfort, confine the elderly to bed for perhaps
two or three weeks. Undoubtedly health in old age is the
real key to a happy retirement and if this remains good most other
disadvantages can be overcome or, with suitable help, be withstood.
Many elderly persons, having been relieved of their responsibilities,
live happy and contented lives but, conversely, ill-health for the
aged so often becomes a burden to be borne with fortitude or
stoicism.
Local authorities are becoming increasingly responsible for
softening the effects of some of the disadvantages arising as a result
of ageing but, in a recent small geriatric survey in South East
London, it became apparent that what the elderly want and what
the local authorities provide are not necessarily the same. In this
survey it transpired, most surprisingly, that
(a) once retired, most elderly people were not interested in
further employment which rather suggested that the retirement
age should be raised;
(b) very few old people seem to want to join a club. Only
10% of the retired belonged to clubs and even here some
attend only once or twice a year;
(c) almost 50% did not leave their homes regularly for any
purpose, even for shopping, although physically they were
able to do so;