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THE OVER SIXTIES CLINIC—OXLOW LANE
Last year's report contained a fairly full account of the activities at this clinic.
It is sufficient to say that the activities extended to weekly exercise classes and that
regular discussion groups were held, led by Miss Brown, the occupational therapist on
loan from St. George's Hospital, Hornchurch. These are valuable as mental stimulation
and in one case, as an experiment, a discharged hospital patient was referred there by the
hospital consultant concerned. Unfortunately, the classes were not held frequently
enough to answer her need for after-care but it may be that this need may point the way
to a future day centre for such a purpose, if premises and staff can be made available,
where after-care can be provided.
During the year 34 new patients attended, 41 sessions were held and 106 patients
were seen. An average of 20 patients attended the weekly exercise classes on alternate
weeks.
Towards the end of the year the waiting list was mounting and due to other commitments
I was not always able to attend the Friday morning clinic, which meant that
on some occasions it had to be cancelled. It was decided to use the services of Dr.
Hodgson to help out at the clinic and in November she began to attend on Friday mornings,
and has taken a great interest in the patients.
The discussions held at the Thursday afternoon exercise classes are recorded and
there follows an account of one such:—
The group were asked whether on retirement they would prefer to live in a little
house near their children and families or in a house in an old people's community.
One member expressed the view that it was wrong to live near one's children and
in any case, he did not see why a council or anybody else should push him around by
telling him where to live because he was old. He said that nobody was interested where
he lived when he was 20 years old, why should they be interested now.
It was then explained that the purpose of the discussion was to find out the members'
views on the ideal place for old people to live; whether in a house on their own in an
old people's community, in a small house by themselves in a community of younger
people, or in a little house somewhere away from anybody.
One old gentleman said that he would prefer to live entirely by himself. He said
that if old people live with young people "the children are all feet," and if they live with
other old people they disagree.
One old lady said that she would prefer to live in a bungalow on her own amongst
elderly people like herself because they would understand each other better. She said
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