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16
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948. SECTION 50
In twenty instances, the Public Health Department were
called upon to arrange the burial of a person who was either without
any known relative or the relatives were unable to meet the cost of
arranging a private funeral. This is more than double the number
dealt with during the previous year.
The total cost of the burials was £ 215. 0s. 6d. and of this
amount £ 177. 18s, 1d, has so far been recovered from the estates of
the deceased, from relatives, or from death grants.
Frequently the circumstances of these cases are very
distressing and the service rendered by the Department is one which
is generally very much appreciated by the friends and relatives of
the deceased as evidenced by the letters received from time to time,
CARE OF THE AGED
Although the percentage of elderly people in the community
is increasing only a comparatively small proportion require the
services which the local authority can supply. Most of the old
people are able to manage quite well by their own efforts or with
help from their families or friends and too much help can be as
damaging as too little. It is not uncommon to find that an old person
who has been taken to an old people's home where he or she has no
responsibilities, dies in a very short time from what appears to be
lack of interest in life and the absence of any real need to do anything
at all.
Fortunately the old people themselves are almost always
anxious to do their their own work and a number of them refuse
the assistance which can be provided by home helps or by "mealson-wheels"
even when it is considered that they should have this
help. In general, this self reliance is to be admired although in
some instances of old people living alone the danger from fire causes
much worry to other people.
It is likely that there are a number of old people who are in
need of help who are not known to the Public Health Department but
out of the estimated 12,000 people in Hampstead over the age of
65 years, only 126 new cases were reported during 1961.