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3
remain there without injury to his own health or nuisance to his
neighbours.
I am very conscious of the implications of these paragraphs and
I would not feel that I was carrying out my duty to the area I serve
if I did not place before you the conditions which I have observed
during the past few years in respect of the care of old people, and
the difficulties which have been met.
Between September 1st 1950, and August 31st 1953, there have
been referred to the Public Health Department 200 persons for general
investigation to see in what way the Public Health Department could
assist. As a routine, a visit is made as soon as possible by the
District Sanitary Inspector who carries out a preliminary survey of
the situation and indicates what services he considers are necessary.
This visit may be followed by a visit from the Medical Officer of
Health or his Deputy, and the Chief Sanitary Inspector. The policy
of the Department has been to make every effort to maintain the old
person at home by means of providing the appropriate amenities.
We have now enquired as to the position relating to each of
these persons as on September 1st 1953, and it will therefore be
seen that the time of follow up of each case varies from a few weeks
to three years. Of the 200 cases referred to the Department,
54 were males and 146 females. Of this number, 11 cases were below
the age usually taken as the definition of old age, i.e. 65 years for
males and 60 years for females, the age at which each sex can draw
the contributory old age pension. These 11 cases were referred to
us on account of chronic illness and have been excluded from this
survey, which now includes 189 old persons, of whom 49 were males
and 140 females.
The excess of females is accounted for partly by the fact that
we have included an extra quinquennium, i.e. 60-64 years and also by
the considerably greater number of elderly ladies who live in
Hampstead. The 1951 census population shows that there were 3,724
males over 65, and 10,842 females over 60, a ratio similar to the
sex distribution of the cases upon which we are reporting, i.e. one
male to each three females.
Of the 140 females, 65 were unmarried, i.e. 46 per cent, of
the total female cases. One immediately enquires whether this is
the normal proportion taking the population as a whole. It is not.
The number of single women over 60 in the population is 29 per cent,
and the excess in our survey, which we must remember constitutes
persons we were called in to help, is probably due to the fact that
spinsters have neither husband nor children to care for them and
are therefore more liable to need some form of help. This is a point,
which I think must be considered when plans for the care of the aged
are made and when a criticism is levelled at the younger generation
for not taking care of their parents.