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-35-
WELFARE
OLD PEOPLE
During 1961. 36 cases of old people in need of care and attention were
brought to the notice of the Public Health Department.
These cases are brought to our notice often by persons who feel the old
person should be removed compulsorily for hiso,r.her own benefit but not every
one knows the extent of the voluntary and statutory aid which can be given to
an old person in need, and so happily, most of the time arrangements of some
kind can be made to enable the old person to continue to live in the way which
he wants in his own home or by patient persuasion over a long period to get him
into a frame of mind which accepts voluntary admission to home or hospital
Compulsory removal is a sad and undignified incident in the life of a human
being, and must be genuinely and fully justified before being used In 1961
no compulsory removal of any old person was carried out.
Details of the 36 cases are as follows
f ■ '
Removed to hospital 10
Removed to Old People's Homes 3
Remained at home: - 23
(a) meals on wheels and home help provided 2
(b) meals only provided 3
(c) home help only provided 6
(d) home nurse and home help provided 1
(e) car and garage obtained (for invalid man) 1
(f) wireless obtained 1
(g) housing repairs carried out and/or
cleanliness improved 2
(h) no help required 1
(i) all help refused 2
(j) awaiting vacancy in Old People's Home 1
(k) awaiting rehousing 3
During the year a total of 378 aged persons or aged chronic sick persons
in the Borough received help from the Home Help Service and the Home Nurses
dealt with 469 old people out of a total of 755 cases.
These figures compare with 397 aged persons receiving help from the Home
Help Service in 1960 and 501 old persons being visited by the Nurses out of a
total of 785,
The amount of sick nursing done by the statutory nurses seems to be dropping
each year. 77 fewer cases were attended in 1961 than in 1959.
Information supplied by the County Welfare Officer shows that during the
year 24 old people from the Borough were admitted to Old People's Homes through
the County Welfare Department, including eleven persons previously brought to
our notice one in 1958 three in 1959 three in 1960 and four during 1961 Two
of those admitted unfortunately did not wish to remain, returned home, and
continue to be very difficult problems.
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 does this
by admission to its own Homes or by meeting the cost of maintenance in Homes
administered by registered Voluntary Organisations The County Council s Welfare
Department is responsible for the County Homes and one such Home (known as
Belfairs, in Grove Park Gardens) is situated in the Borough.