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WELFARE
OLD PEOPLE
During 1956, 32 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 in such conditions as to require statutory action
under the National Assistance Act,
Details of the 32 cases are as follows
Removed to Hospital 11
Removed to Old People's Homes 3
Remained at Home
(a) with Home Help whilst awaiting entry to
a Home 2
(b) with District Nursing assistance 1
(c) with Invalid Meals and Home Help 6
(d) no help required 2
(e) refused all help though help desirable 3
Died at Home 4
During the year a total of 284 aged persons or aged chronic sick persons
in the Borough received help from the Home Help Service, and the Home Nurses
dealt with 575 old people out of a total of 1,084 cases.
These figures compare with 284 (the same number) aged persons receiving
help from the Home Help Service in 1955 and 545 old persons being visited by the
Nurses out of a total of 1,109 cases.
Information supplied by the Area Welfare Officer shows that during the year
28 old people from the Borough were admitted to Old People's Homes through the
County Welfare Department, amongst them were those in special need of care and
attention listed in the above table as having been removed to old People's Homes.
The County Council has the duty, under the National Assistance Act, 1948,
of providing residential accommodation for aged and infirm persons in need of
care and attention which is not otherwise available to them, and it can do this
by providing its own Homes or by arrangements with registered Voluntary Organisations.
The County Council's Welfare Department administers the County Homes,
and one such Home is situated in the Borough,
Chiropody
A service was maintained throughout the year by the Middlesex County Council
whereby old people could have their foot defects treated at reduced cost or free
of charge.
Figures of the numbers taking advantage of this Service can be found on
page 57.
Old Folks Friendship Club
This is a specially built club house opened in April, 1955, for the use as
a social and recreational centre of old age pensioners living in Brentford and
Chiswick. The club is open Monday to Friday from 2-5 p.m. and there is a
full-time organiser in attendance. The old people are enrolled as members at
their first attendance, membership costs only one penny per week, and there are
about 230 names on the register. The members can visit for rest room or reading
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