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31
The health department during the year continued to take a detailed
interest in the work for old people generally and remained in
the closest touch with the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Association
(LOPWA), which Association has offices in the department.
LOPWA is, so far as the borough council's work for old people's welfare
is concerned, the main body in the area and has affiliated to it the
various other bodies to which the Council makes grant. LOPWA is
responsible for the meals-on-wheels service to housebound old people
and to certain clubs, and during the year ended 31st March 1961,
33,634 meals were delivered. In addition the WVS delivered 4,205 in
one area of the borough.
The Saville
The committee has for some time past been anxious to acquire
premises which could be adapted for various services for old people,
and even provide a comprehensive centre for such services. The
search for premises however failed, until the autumn of 1960 when a
dance hall in Lewisham High Street, known as The Saville, came on
the market. After inspection by officers and consideration by the committee
the Council decided to purchase, and agreed terms were eventually
reached. The premises comprise a large main hall with small stage,
three other rooms on the ground floor and three rooms (including a
bathroom) upstairs. There is a commodious cellar. It is planned to
have kitchen facilities there (to help the meals-on-wheels), afternoon
clubs, handicraft classes, and lunch clubs, and also to develop the
premises in other ways. They are expected to open in the autumn
of 1961.
Visiting of old people
Three nurses (officially called Women Health Officers) are concerned
with old people and with infectious disease. Their work for
old people is tabulated as follows:—

Facilities for the aged, generally
The King Edward Hospital Fund committee set up to review the
services for old people in this borough with a view to ascertaining
whether any of such services should be strengthened or whether additional
services were required, continued to meet during the year.
Lewisham was chosen for two main reasons: first because although the
services were in some respects (for example, a geriatric unit) less
than in many other boroughs it was maintained by the hospital and