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accommodation far exceeds the quota of places available; a proportion
of these will almost certainly never be admitted. A sad feature,
is the number of old persons wno made applications solely because
they were told repeatedly by their families with whom they were living
that they were not wanted. Friction had often arisen because of a
failure on the part of the younger generation to attempt to see the
old person's point of view or respect his old fashioned standards. With
a little give and take on both sides many of these old persons could
live happily at home. As in 1955 the most problematic group are
those physically fit but mentally confused. There are always some
cases known to me who through no fault of their own are a public
nuisance. It is a very distressing thing for their relatives, or those who
live in close contact with them. There seems to be a need for some
special type of accommodation for such persons. Some are of course
suitable for mental hospitals and would benefit by treatment therein,
but others are not suitable, or could not benefit from treatment and
would be merely blocking a bed urgently needed for some person who
could benefit. Private Homes are not usually willing to accept this
type of person and while some are acceptable to the Essex County
Council for Part 3 Accommodation others would be an unfair burden
upon the staff, and would upset other residents.
Of the cases dealt with 49 were admitted to Hospitals, mostly to
Langthorne Hospital or St. George's Hospital, Hornchurch. In about
75 per cent of these cases the General Practitioner had appealed to
the Medical Officer of Health for assistance after experiencing difficulty
in procuring a bed. Social reports were prepared for submission to
the Hospitals through the General Practitioner if he thought fit to
use them. In many cases subsequent admission resulted. 61 persons
known to me died in their own homes, several of these could not be
given sufficient care and attention at home, and while I do not suggest
that they would not have died had they been in Hospital, they would
have been spared a lot of discomfort and loneliness if they had been
admitted. Nursing Home fees average 8-10 guineas weekly and few
of the persons referred to me can afford to pay them.
A small percentage of the persons admitted to Hospital went there
as a result of a home accident. An attempt is always made to
discover the cause of such accidents, and constant vigilance is kept in
order to take preventive measures against accidents. Home Safety
pamphlets have been distributed to old persons and others in close
contact with them. Ample opportunity to study and discuss this
problem occurs through serving on the llford Home Safety Committee.
Of the persons interviewed a large number were seeking Old Age
Pensioners' flats. Those who appeared to be eligible for Stoneleigh
Court were visited at home and if found suitable their names were
placed on the waiting list. The demand from suitable and deserving
cases far outnumbers the supply. Reports on other cases not eligible
for Stoneleigh Court but badly housed or under notice to quit, etc.
were forwarded to the Housing Office. Several were referred to the
Basildon Corporation and were housed in flats or Old Persons' bungalows
in Basildon New Town.
A considerable amount of time has been devoted to correspondence
and to the keeping of case histories and other records. Many requests
are received from Langthorne Hospital for reports on the progress of
persons discharged home. Many of these spend 6 weeks in Hospital
and 6 weeks at home alternately and an endeavour is made to maintain
contact with them with a view to forming an opinion as to whether
this scheme is satisfactory.