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414 were taken. Holidays are confined to the off-peak season, usually
the early part of May and the latter part of September. The majority
of elderly persons went to boarding houses and guest houses, and
stayed for two weeks. The seaside resorts to which the old people
went were mainly those situated on the south-east and south coasts,
from Broadstairs to Boscombe, but one party went to Dawlish on the
Devonshire coast, and three people went to Clacton. The majority of
holidays, however were taken at Cliftonville, Broadstairs and Boscombe,
the resorts where it was easiest to find accommodation or the most
people requested.
The cost of a holiday to the elderly person is based upon a simple
method of assessment of the person's net income after deducting the
rent and insurances, and should the house be owned by the applicant
an average sum of £1 for rates and repairs is also deducted. If the net
weekly income is £3 or less per person, the charge made to a single
person is £4 15s., and to a married couple £4 10s. each. This is for the
total holiday, i.e. two weeks and fares. If the net income per person is
more than £3, the minimum charged is increased by half the excess of
the net income over £3 to a single person, or £6 for a married couple.
A non-returnable booking fee is taken of 5s.
These holidays were well received by the elderly people and many
postcards and letters of thanks have been received in the department.
(d) Laundry
As will be seen elsewhere in this report the Health Department
again carried out a very large amount of work in dealing with the
laundry of incontinent elderly people, 51,948 articles being dealt with in
this way.
(e) Bathing attendants
A further method of help for certain frail and usually bedridden old
people was started in December 1962 with the employment of a woman
to help with domiciliary bathing and cleansing to work primarily under
the direction and supervision of the Ranyard nurses. The demands
for such help are great and in May a further bathing attendant was
appointed, and the service extended to cover most of the borough. At
the end of the year it was under discussion to extend the service still
further, and to appoint a male bathing attendant. This was done early
in 1964. The number of cleansings and bathings carried out during the
year were West 322, North 432 and South 532 making a total of 1286.
(f) S.47
S.47 of the National Assistance Act 1948 allows application to be
made to a Magistrates' Court for an order for the compulsory removal
of an old person from his home in certain circumstances. These circumstances
are strictly limited and in general only apply to old persons
in very poor health living in bad hygienic conditions. Every effort
is made to prevent such cases occurring and this can usually be done
if the Department gets to know about them at a reasonably early date.
In such circumstances they are visited by the women health officers
who can generally set in motion other aids, such as home helps, nursing
care, medical care, meals, and so on and often can prevent further deterioration
of the case. Alternatively the patient will be persuaded to