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to homes, institutions and shops will always point out an}7 defect which
comes to their notice within the field of Health Education. It has
been said that the mere teaching of factual material is inadequate and
does not provide the required new attitudes nor change old ones. It is
necessary that well-made films be produced and indeed this has been
done on various aspects of Health Education. Perhaps the most potent
factor of all has not yet been fully exploited, that is the use of television.
It is regrettable that this medium tends to neglect this
important field, and perhaps a programme entitled " Emergency Home
Safety" would be of more value and create less controversy than
" Emergency Ward 10." It should certainly be of greater value to
the community. Medicine always makes news and surely it is not
beyond the ingenuity of our specialist health educators to produce a
television programme to compete with the popularity of the less
valuable popular medical programmes seen to-day.
National Assistance Act, 1948
(a) Section 47—Removal to Suitable Premises of Persons in need
of care and attention
Difficulties nearly always arise in these cases where aged persons
have allowed their homes to become neglected and, in many cases,
filthy ; they themselves, apart from living in a squalid atmosphere, are
able to care for themselves, and in many of these cases, if the premises
could be cleaned up satisfactorily, the old persons would tend to
become more interested in their housework.
In one particular case of an old person living with a mentally
defective son in poor financial circumstances, one of our Public Health
Inspectors together with two other members of the staff obtained the
necessary materials through relatives and carried out the work themselves
outside normal working hours, transforming a slum into a very
pleasing residence. Fortunately these cases are few in number, and
if the present impetus towards the care of the aged carries on and our
social and visiting services develop, I think that there will be no need
to arrange legally the removal of any of our aged persons in the
future.
(b) Section 50—Burial or Cremation of the Dead
It is the duty of the Local Authority to cause to be buried or
cremated the body of any person who has died or been found dead
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