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WELFARE
Old People
During 1952 twenty-nine cases of old people in need of care and
attention were brought to the notice of the Public Health Department.
No patient was found to be living in such conditions as to require
Statutory action under the National Assistance Act. Each case of
this nature requires a good deal of investigation as the needs of
the patients vary so much. In addition to the assistance detailed
in the list below, many of the cases required other help throughout
the year, for instance, several of those later removed to hospital
were assisted by obtaining Home Help, National Assistance Board
grants for provision of extra bedding or household necessities, or
Home Nursing.
A scheme whereby funds formerly possessed by the Brentford and
Chiswick District Nursing Association were transferred to the Old
Folks Fund Committee to be used to help needy cases was commenced,
and it is hoped that from this extra comforts and replacements of
household necessities may be made available for old people in
distressed circumstancs
Details of progress of the 29 cases are as follows:-
Removed to hospital 14
Removed to Old People's Home 1
Assisted holiday provided through
Brentford Philanthropic Society 1
Remained at home 13
With regard to the 13 cases remaining at home, 1 was provided
with a Home Nurse, 6 with Home Help assistance, 1 had list of
private old people's homes provided, 1 wanted special housing on
ground floor and the remaining four refused Home Help.
During the year a total of 201 aged persons or aged chronic
sick persons in the Borough received help from the Home Help Service.
Slipper Baths
Under the scheme for the provision at reduced rates (2d per
bath) of Slipper Baths for Old People at the Public Baths
Establishments l,476 baths were taken in Chiswick and 440 in
Brentford.
These numbers are 491 greater than in 1951, probably because of
the spread of information by means of the Old People's Clubs
regarding the facilities available.
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