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169
GERIATRIC SERVICES
Over the years, the community's attitude towards senescence has
changed substantially. When old age was rare, as in primitive
societies, it was an honoured estate but, today, it has become
commonplace and, though it may sometimes attract compassion
or pity, it commands little respect. Indeed, with few exceptions,
there is an unmistakable but understandable tendency on the part
of youth to dissociate itself from old age largely perhaps because
it is a constant reminder to the young of its own ultimate fate.
Yet such an attitude is not exclusive to youth. Only in recent
times has the Government made determined efforts to comprehend
the needs and to institute measures to improve the lot of the aged.
In contrast, locally, the health and welfare of elderly Greenwich
residents have been the subjects of active Council policy since the
early 1930s.
To most middle-aged people, retirement is a vague term signifying a state of existence which bears no relationship whatsoever
to the present and, therefore, warranting no more than a passing
thought and even less time to its planning. Nothing could be
further from the truth and to approach retirement with no better
equipment than the limited horizon of one's own job is to court
disaster. Nowadays, on retirement, men and women can expect
to live up to another 20 years, a period equal to that between birth
and marriage and one which the advances in social and environmental conditions could conceivably extend. Clearly, it is the duty
of our preventive services to ensure that this period is not merely
one of prolongation but also one of improving quality.
To a casual observer it may appear that our services have
evolved in a haphazard fashion inasmuch as they were designed to
meet needs as they arose and were recognised at the time. A
closer examination, however, will reveal that there was a pattern
of consistency which may not be immediately obvious. All our
efforts have been, and still are, directed towards assisting the
elderly in preventing deterioration in their health or welfare,
reducing illness and eliminating accidents. Only by the closest
association and co-operation with doctors, nurses, hospitals,
social workers and those voluntary organisations that have an
interest in home care has this been made possible. It has also
meant the encouragement of the elderly to make the maximum
use of their facilities, particularly to remain active; to have regular
social contacts; to pay the greatest attention to diet; to maintain