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- iv -
Welfare of the Elderly
The Tenth Annual Report of the Southwark Old People's Welfare
Committee prepared by the Organising Secretary, Miss Beer, is largely
reproduced at the end of this report. From it can be seen the ever
increasing facilities which are available at St. Alban's Hall for
people of pensionable age. The year under review is the first complete
year during which the activities of the Old People's Welfare Committee
have been centred at the new premises and excellent use was made of
them to improve and expand the services in several directions.
In addition to having the use of St. Alban's Hall, which is in
the ownership of the Southwark Borough Council, the Old People's
Welfare Committee receive substantial financial aid from the Council.
The latest example of this, a sum of £1,000 to be earmarked for the
provision of holidays for old people is a particularly welcome one,
and will be most beneficial. Anyone who has visited old people from
Southwark on holiday at Bognor and elsewhere under schemes already
administered by the Old People's Welfare Committee cannot fail to
be impressed by the obvious enjoyment which these holidays give,
quite apart from the improvement in health which results.
The services for old people provided directly by the Council
through the Public Health Department were also active during the
year. The incontinent laundry service was made good use of and as
Mr. Lloyd, the Superintendent of the Treatment and Bathing Centre
mentions in his report it was possible to introduce a Home Bathing
Service for those old people who although not requiring the services
of the District Nurse, were yet in need of assistance as regards
maintaining the cleanliness of their person. In addition to Mr. Lloyd,
the Public Health Inspectors generally, paid many visits to old people
during the year, and took action to alleviate conditions under which
many of them were living.
Despite the wide range of services available in Southwark for
the welfare of the aged it still proved necessary to arrange for the
compulsory removal to institutions of no fewer than four old people,
the highest number for some years. Two were dealt with under Section
47 of the National Assistance Act 1948 and two under the National
Assistance (Amendment) Act 1951, two going to hospital, and two to
Part III accommodation. It is always an anxious decision to initiate
procedure of this sort particularly in regard to frail ambulant old
persons, who cannot appreciate just how insanitary the conditions
under which they are living have become in contrast to what they have
been accustomed to in previous years, nor just how incapable they
are of looking after themselves in safety and comfort. An assessment
of the position can only be made after detailed investigation of all
the circumstances. In the two Amendment cases there was of course
supporting medical evidence that admission to hospital was urgently
necessary.