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21
Some idea of the problem may be gathered from the fact that
today one person in nine is over 65 years of age, compared with
one in twenty-one at the beginning of the century. By 1975 this
proportion will have risen to one in seven. In London alone there
are at present 470,000 people of pensionable age—50,000 of these
are over 80 and in Greater London out of a population of 8,251,000
the number of people aged 65 and over is 944,000.
Institutional treatment for old people is provided as follows:
(a) Hospital: Where ill and requiring medical attention, after
which they may be discharged home.
(b) Chronic Sick Wards: Not necessarily suffering from a
specific ailment, but not well enough or mobile enough to be
admitted to a Home.
(c) Old Persons' Welfare Home: For old people in reasonable
health.
All the above are in great demand and are at present inadequate
to meet the demand. Further, the pro rata cost is very high.
It is now generally accepted that the best place for old people
is in their own homes, and that the pattern and underlying principle
of the services for the aged should be based on this. Only when they
can no longer get proper care and attention in their own homes
should they go to a Welfare Home, Chronic Sick Ward, or Hospital.
The Council's efforts in this direction are through the provision
of:—
(i) Home Bathing
(ii) Laundry Service
(iii) Home Visiting
(iv) Holiday Home
(v) Liaison with other authorities and organisations, e.g., the
London County Council, District Nursing Association,
general practitioners, Paddington Old People's Welfare
Committee, Women's Voluntary Services and National
Assistance Board
(vi) Disinfestation Service and Medicinal Baths.
At the end of the year there were 145 (168) names on the register
of old people. The female visitors made 1,211 (1,257) visits, and
the male inspectors 30 (61) visits during the year.
National Assistance Acts.—It was not found necessary to apply
to the Court for a compulsory removal order during the year.
Holiday Home.—During the year 968 (937) applications for
holidays were received and 598 (613) guests were accommodated.
Two hundred and ninety-two applicants refused the holiday offered
(mainly on account of illness or because the dates allocated were too
early or too late). In the remaining 78 cases no allocation was made
due to death, removal from the Borough, unfitness or to single rooms
or specific dates not being available. These figures are exclusive of
the Christmas period when 51 people applied for a holiday. Sixteen
were selected by the Holiday Home Sub-Committee for a week's
holiday.