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landladies that there are so many who will patiently
and sympathetically watch over, humour, and generally
supervise old persons, and we should also realise
what we owe to the more active and alert among the
aged, who so readily accept the not always pleasant
task of giving a helping hand and encouraging word
to their frail and confused contemporaries. I have a
great admiration for Club Leaders who shepherd large
parties of old persons on holiday. The leaders often
prove to be old in years themselves, but young in
spirit, and with a social conscience.
All the 43 applicants were accommodated in
some way. A few entered private Guest Homes for
the Elderly at the expense of themselves or the
relatives. Most of these vacancies were found by
me and in some instances the proprietors very kindly
agreed to reduce the fees. Several who needed
supervision or nursing care entered the Geriatric
Unit.
The remaining 268 cases, I have called "miscellaneous".
To me they present a strong argument
in justification of the employment of a social case
worker in addition to Health Visitors. Their problems
were as many and varied as the pebbles on a
beach. Among them were 40 who were referred to
the Welfare Department of the County Council of
Essex for consideration for admission to Part 3
accommodation. In a few instances I felt such an
application to be in the very best interests of the
applicant, but in many instances I felt very sorry
indeed that no alternative could be found. Some were
aged parents living with offspring who had quite comfortable
homes, sound health, and good incomes,
owed perhaps to the foresight and sacrifice of the
parents during their earlier years. Reasons put forward
for wishing the old person to leave were often
incredibly trivial. It seems a very sad thing to me
when a son or daughter is not willing to tolerate some
eccentric behaviour, or suffer some inconvenience,
to keep the old folk within the family circle in their
declining years. Others were quite able bodied alert
persons whose landlords wished to gain possession
of their rooms. These could have lived happily and
independently in old person's flatlets and would have