View report page

I do not think I can repeat too often that one's aim in caring for old
people is to keep them in their own homes under healthy and happy conditions.
To achieve this there are various services which I think are essential. Of these
I consider that the most important is the Home Help Service. The time comes to
all old people when they are unable to carry out the heavy work of their own
homes to keep their rooms clean and free from nuisance, and the provision of a
home help at this time is of paramount importance.
The second most important factor is to secure that the old person is
provided with adequate meals in order that his nutrition may be safeguarded. The
St, Pancras Association for the Care of the Aged provides meals in their homes
or meals in restaurants for those people who by reason of age or infirmity or
lack of proper amenities cannot provide meals for themselves 9,889 meals were
provided to old people in their own homes, and 8,060 meals to others who were
unable to provide a meal in their own home but could nevertheless attend at a
local restaurant.
The third factor which many old people require is a certain amount of
nursing and this is provided via the District Nursing Associations in the
borough, to whom I would like to express my most sincere gratitude.
A clean home, adequate food and a modicum of nursing - these are the three
main essentials of the aged. I am reminded, however, that man cannot live on
bread alone and it is essential to secure mental and physical comfort. Physical
comfort is provided through our chiropody clinics and no less than 5,078
attendances were made during the year. It is difficult to over-estimate the
comfort which this brings to those who attend
Insofar as mental welfare is concerned, there are many clubs for old people
in the borough, and again I would find it hard to exaggerate the benefit which
they confer on those old people who belong to them
S P.A C A has continued to send old people away for a fortnight s holiday
and 129 individuals benefited from this scheme during 1956 The letters I have
received testify to the satisfactory arrangements which have been made-
Old age can be a very lonely time and few people realise what a difference
the provision of a wireless set can make to old persons living alone There are now
106 wireless sets on loan to old people in the borough We seldom get letters
of thanks for the provision of a wireless set. On the other hand when, having
provided itP the set goes wrong we get letters immediately begging us with all
speed to repair it the old person being lost without the company and the interest
with which his wireless provides him It is a companion all the week round-
Through the visits of our nurses we are able to keep under regular observation
some two or three thousand old persons In addition to this all those
who attend at our chiropody clinics are seen either by Dr. Tracy or one of
the nurses At the*medical and nurses' clinics no less than 4.422 attendances
were made. Domiciliary visiting by the nurses amounted to 5 662 but in addition
to this a large number of visits were made by voluntary visitors, to whose
regular work I would like to pay tribute. In particular I would mention the
British Red Cross Society which arranges for a large number of old people to be
visited regularly through the services of its members.
xii