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proportion of aged in the population, renders the outlook far
from encouraging.
There comes a time in most families when they find themselves involved with an elderly relative whose welfare, on occasions, becomes not only a matter of anxiety but also one of
urgency. 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
full and continued support. This can be obtained from the
health departments for. with the co-operation of the Geriatrician
at St. Alfege's Hospital, short-term admissions are arranged for
the elderly thus enabling relatives to take a well-earned holiday.
Local health authorities and voluntary organisations are
helping to fill the gaps in the services for the elderly and it is
their duty to help the aged to grow old gracefully and to postpone as long as possible the impairments in health concomitant
with age.
It is generally agreed that old people are infinitely better off
in their own homes especially when infirmity rather than illness
seems to predominate and, notwithstanding all that has been
written about the elderly from a social medicine point of view,
fundamentally there are only two courses of action open for the
treatment of their problem, viz., institutional or home care. However, it has already been pointed out that institutional facilities
are extremely limited and the problem usually resolves itself into
one of arranging for all the ancilliary services to support the aged
in their own homes. It is in this particular sphere that the health
department can be of the utmost value for it is in the unique
position of being able to ensure the closest co-operation at all
levels between the various agencies concerned with the wellbeing
of the elderly. Home care demands a high standard of co-operation involving, as it does, home nursing, home help services, mealson-wheels,
bathing and laundry services, pharmaceutical services
and National Assistance.
Undoubtedly health in old age is the real key to a happy
retirement and, if this remains good, then most other disadvantages
can be overcome or, with suitable help, be withstood. But age
often brings with it many disagreeable side effects such as failure
of muscular power, loss of memory, accident proneness, introspection, etc., and adjustments to environmental changes are badly
tolerated. Furthermore 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.