View report page

32
Journeys too have to be arranged as some old persons cannot
travel on public transport because of a disablement, or they need
escort to help them on flights of steps or escalators at railway
stations. Lifts to the station have been given by friends and
colleagues, and by various voluntary organisations, such as the
Rotary Clubs, Toc H, etc. On one or two occasions the old person
has been taken by car to the coast and brought back two weeks later.
Enquiries about times of trains and sometimes the procuring of
tickets in advance must be undertaken by me. If this demand continues
and increases, some recognised scheme will be needed, both because
of the special difficulties and the time taken up. It is fast becoming
a full time job. The Essex County Council admit some of the
old persons to Part 3 accommodation for 2 weeks but the demand is
far greater than the number of beds that become available. An
increase of such accommodation would, I believe, be the best
solution.
In addition to those persons who can go to a home, Hotel or
Part 3 accommodation are many for whom only a Hospital or a
Nursing Home is suitable. Hospital care is free, therefore, I am
receiving almost daily requests for my assistance in getting someone
into Hospital. G.Ps. refer the public to me; if I am eventually
able to persuade the G.P. that the approach should be direct to the
Hospital, and not through me, I can relax until the Hospital decides
that it cannot assist, when the family are again pursuing me to tell
me that they are hoping that I will be able to bring about a reversal
of the decision, or to arrange for Nursing Home fees to be paid from
some statutory source.
Housing problems referred to me numbered 91. Some were
subsequently awarded priority for Stoneleigh Court or ground floor
old persons flats on medical grounds. Many were not eligible for
rehousing. Among these were many who had adequate accommodation
but were unhappy with married offspring. These problems remain
more or less unchanged from year to year.
Among the 906 cases dealt with 127 were admitted to Hospital,
82 died in Hospital, and 70 died at home. There was only one
case referred by a G.P. to the Medical Officer of Health for assistance
in obtaining a Hospital bed. There were, however, cases
which had to wait up to 3 weeks for admission and which were the
subject of many enquiries and much misdirected criticism of the
Department by relatives and interested persons.