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49
Action under the main Act may be protracted, therefore the
National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951 was passed enabling the
Medical Officer of Health, under delegated powers, to apply to
the Court himself in an emergency. If the amending legislation
is used, a second medical certificate is required, and the maximum
Period of detention is three weeks.
During the year action was taken under the amended legislation
in one case, details of which are set out below:-
The case, a man of 62 years of age, was referred to the
Public Health Department by the Domestic Help Organisar on
2nd June, He lived on the top floor of an old house, was bed
bound and very weak. He had been in hospital suffering from
broncho pneumonia and had chronic infection of the lungs which
needed constant medical and nursing treatment, but took his own
discharge. The man was doubly incontinent and there were faeces
and expectoration in his bedding and on the floor. The Domestic
Help was unable to cope with the cleaning of the room. The General
Practitioner arranged for the District Nurse to attend daily, and,
after persuasion, the case was readmitted to hospital on 2nd June,
but he took his own discharge on July 8th.
Invalid meals were arranged, also daily visits by the
District Nurse and the man was admitted to hospital again on
17th July, Once again he pressed for his own discharge and
returned home on 13th August,
He was seen by the Medical Officer of Health on 14th August.
His room was in an appalling condition. Although very ill, all
methods of persuasion failed and he refused to return to hospital.
The appropriate action was taken under the National Assistance
Act, 1948 as amended. The man was removed on 15th August, and he
died in hospital on 28th August, 1958.
Laundry Service for Aged Incontinent Persons
In December 1956 a service was initiated to assist those
old persons and their relatives who were unable to cope with the
laundering of soiled linen. As facilities were at that time not
available, arrangements were made with a local laundry proprietor,
who in the first instance carried out the service free of charge
for three months, and then at a reduced rate.