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friend. The girl's father arranged an interview at his firm and this
resulted in a member of the staff discussing suitable employment with the
Personnel Officer of the organisation. The young man was selectively
placed in the Stores Department and has maintained his position there. His
length of stay at the Centre was one year.
B. An elderly widow who lives alone in a poorly furnished Council house.
During the last few years (since the death of her husband) she has had
several hospital admissions for depression and drug addiction - and has
on occasion taken overdoses of drugs. She is an extremely lonely and
nervous person, who spent most of her evenings in bed, and most of the
daytime wandering around the parks and streets. She has now been attending
the Centre regularly for a year. This has been helpful in providing her
with simple occupation, a daily hot meal, and most important, companionship
- and she has made friends whom she visits from time to time in their own
homes. It also enables Centre staff to keep an eye on her general mental
and physical condition and to encourage her to keep hospital and family
doctor appointments.
C. A man of 40 years of age who had spent his working life, from the age of
16, in various mental hospitals. On arrival at the Day Centre he was free
from obvious symptoms but was very slow, somewhat apathetic and aimless.
He soon settled down after stating that he did not want a woman for his
•"boss". It was not long, however, before he fully accepted female members
of the staff, and made friends within the Centre. He now works well at his
individual craft work and it may well be within the bounds of possibility
that he will eventually obtain employment, but this is a long term view that
will entail a problem regarding age.
•Referring to the Occupational Therapist.
D. Is a young schizophrenic girl who has been ill since the age of 14. She
was extremely withdrawn, refused to leave the house, take her medication,
or even to change her clothing when necessary. She was treated in Warley
Hospital for five months and referred to the Day Centre in December, 1967.
At first she was almost mute and had a fixed smile on her face. However,
she gradually became more responsive and confident, until she was able to
talk to the other Centre members, as well as to the staff. She eventually
made a "special" friend of a young man, who has helped her a great deal
she now takes an active interest in her appearance, work and social activities.
Because she missed several years of school, she is educationally backward,
and she has been coached in a few practical aspects, such as telling the
time - but it was felt that it was more important to concentrate at first on
social rather than educational improvement.
E. A young postman of 34, unmarried, who was referred to the Centre in January,
1968, after two months in Warley Hospital where his father had been for
over 30 years. When this man came to the Centre most of his psychotic
symptoms had disappeared, but he was withdrawn socially and lacking in
confidence. He worked well and consistently, began to show overall
improvement, and took an active interest in the tidiness and cleanliness
of the Centre. He experienced a tragic set-back when he returned home one
evening to find his mother dead on the kitchen floor. During this difficult
period he had a great deal of help from his mental welfare officer, and
support from the Centre, but the staff were impressed by his efficient
handling of the situation, and his ability to come to terms with the
problem of living alone. (He took some cookery classes - and made friends
in the Centre who were helpful to him). He obtained a job as porter/cleaner,
and has held this now for several months.
G. A woman of 54 years of age, widowed two years previously, with two grown up
daughters in employment and living at home. She had suffered a stroke one
year previously, had become depressed and disheartened, with a positive degree
of fear to go about on her own and was referred to the Day Centre for support.
For the first three months, during part time attendance, both resentment and
aggression were shown to staff and members. This was followed by a response
to occupational therapy with use of handicraft, and an interest in selling
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