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activity has become restricted, a little thought by the relatives can do a great
deal to ease their burden. The worst thing is to allow the old man or woman
to go to bed and stay there. This immobility causes stiffness of the joints, loss
of power in the muscles so that further weakness quickly supervenes. It is
important for the old people to be got up, dressed and kept active. If the old
person cannot get up or down stairs a rearrangement of the rooms may be possible
so as to give her a downstairs bedroom. If the toilet is upstairs, a bedroom
Commode, properly adjusted for height, will be a great convenience. In the
geriatric departments of hospitals, elderly people recovering from disabilities
are taught simple methods of rehabilitation such as bending and stretching
exercises, and getting about with the aid of appliances. In the home it may be
possible to continue this good work by the provision, say, of a strong hook
securely fastened at a convenient height to a wall and to which a rope can be
attached for continuing the exercises. An old person is usually afraid of
falling—a serious matter, as limbs are so easily broken. Some thought can be
given to the arrangement of the furniture so as to make a table, a sideboard,
a dressing table or a strong chair available for support to the old person in
getting around.
Hostels, Hospitals and Home Helps.
On a national scale it is far too expensive to provide hospitals or hostels
to accommodate old people. It is much better to keep them active at home.
The County Council, through their home help service, are assisting 45 old people
to keep going by providing them with domestic assistance for the heavier
household tasks for a few hours a day on two or three days a week. If these
same cases have to be accommodated in hostels the cost would be far higher.
Twickenham Consultative Committee for Old People's Welfare.
In 1950 the Ministry of Health asked local authorities to promote a scheme
in each district for the closer co-operation of the many statutory and voluntary
bodies interested in the welfare of old people. Twickenham has tackled this
problem magnificently. The Mayor last year, Councillor C. E. Hastings, called
a public meeting and invited all the public and voluntary organisations who
were interested in old people to send representatives. The meeting was well
attended. We heard an address by Dr. Marjory Warren, the Consulting Physician
in the geriatric department at the West Middlesex Hospital, who told us
how old men and women in the hospital were having their disabilities treated
and confidence in themselves restored; how they learned to move about again,
take an interest in their surroundings, and look forward to going back home
to their own people. A short stay in hospital can do much to improve an old
person to a sufficient extent to enable him afterwards to carry on outside with
assistance. Malnutrition can be corrected; physical disabilities ameliorated;
some of those incontinent can have their functions restored. But it must not
be supposed they can stay in hospital after whatever curative work which is
possible has been done. As the cost in hospital is about £15 a week, it is much
more economical to provide amenities for the preservation of health and to
prevent deterioration.
We heard also from Miss Stainton, from the London Council of Social
Service, how the welfare problem was being tackled in other districts. The
Mayor then asked for nominations, and a committee was set up with representatives
from the Borough Council, the County Council, the voluntary
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