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or Part 3 accommodation, or to adopt some home safety measures
such as the discarding of torn mats, the tightening of loose stair
carpets, fixing of safely taps to gas cookers, repair of broken sash
cords etc. An attempt is also made to discourage persons living
alone from locking themselves in, and to encourage them to let a
trusted neighbour have a key so that ready access can be gained in
an emergency. Some fail to co-operate; some cancel the domiciliary
services after a short period, but the majority accept the help and
advice given, and are grateful for it. Persons discharged from Goodmayes
Hospital need more encouragement and supervision to help
them re-establish themselves in the community than other types of
ex-patients. Routine commitments make it impossible to give them
the intensive help that those who live alone require in the early
days of their discharge, but I do what I can to assist and try to get
neighbours, voluntary organisations, Churches, etc. interested in
them.
I referred 41 cases to the Area Officer of the Essex County
Council, Welfare Department for consideration for admission to
Part 3 accommodation. As I frequently have the advantage of a
store of information about the person, gleaned over a considerable
period of time, 1 try to send this Officer as full a report as possible
in ordertoassist hisvisitingstaff who call to investigate and assess
the case. Elderly persons have poor memories, their relatives cannot
always be present at these interviews to fill in the gaps, and to be
forearmed with some details about them is a great help to anyone
seeing them for the first time. The names of most persons referred
are added to the Essex County Council waiting list, but a few withdraw
their consent or are found to be unsuitable or not eligible.
.Some are found to be able to afford to make a private arrangement
and are assisted in making it. Some are admitted to Chronic Sick
Hospital beds instead. Always there remain a few whose need of
care, attention and supervision is glaringly obvious but who cannot
be persuaded to admit it, or to give up their treasured possessions
or what they call their freedom. Few who talk about their freedom
are in fact free since they live within the bondage of their own
physical and mental limitations, allied to unsuitable accommodation.
They would be freer in the spaciousness of a Hostel equipped to
suit their special needs, and relieved of the worry of a house to
maintain, and an inadequate income to budget, but it is sometimes
quite impossible to convince them of this. In the minds of some is a
vision of the workhouse. I have in fact met some old folk who were
unfortunate enough to spend some time in a workhouse in childhood
and it was a bitter experience of which they dread a repetition.
When these people whose need is so obvious withhold their consent