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69
REPORT ON THE WELFARE SERVICES
F.J.Meacock, Chief Welfare Officer
Introduction
It is indeed a pleasure to present this report upon the
functional operation of the welfare services for the year 1968 which
describes the degree of progress, achieved with some difficulty,
against a background of increased national economic stringency of
"squeeze and freeze" and which laid in-roads into the Council's plans
for the expansion of the welfare services, but this in itself is an
exciting challenge to all engaged to find, ways and means of overcoming
difficulties and I would pay tribute to every member of the staff who
has played his or her part in seeking to improve quality and quantity
of the service.
WELFARE OF THE ELDERLY
The same policy has continued to be pursued in an endeavour
to extend supportive domiciliary services to relieve pressure on
residential accommodation, but this has indeed been difficult in the
year under review. Wherever possible, every effort has been made to
assist elderly people to continue living their lives in their own homes
for as long as possible and to encourage them to be active and to
maintain an interest in day to day affairs.
The provision of adequate residential accommodation to meet
the needs of the ever increasing number of elderly people is clearly a
large undertaking and applications for admission into the Council's
homes have continued to increase.
Homes for the Elderly
Every effort is made as far as possible to ensure that old
people have as many of the domiciliary services as possible in order to
keep them contented in their own homes, but when they are eventually
provided with accommodation in an old persons' home every effort is
again made to ensure that they are happy and comfortable by making the
home as attractive as possible and to provide as many personal services
as can be permitted within the circumstances and environment of each
establishment. The elderly people have facilities for hair dressing,
chiropody, and many entertainments and outings are arranged, and as
much personal effort as possible is put in by the staff of the homes to
see to the welfare and comfort of the residents. Visitors are welcome
at reasonable hours.
Residents in the welfare homes contribute towards the cost of
their maintenance in accordance with their means and, by instructions
laid down by the Ministry, they must have at least 18s.0d a week for
their personal spending.