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WELFARE
OLD PEOPLE
During 1962, 28 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 his or her own benefit but not everyone
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 1962,
no compulsory removal of any old person was carried out.
Details of the 28 cases are as follows:-
Removed to hospital 10
(5 of whom were rehabilitated and returned home)
Removed to Old People's Home 1
Left district to stay with relations 2
Left district to enter private Home 1
Remained at home:- 14
(a) meals on wheels and home help provided 2
(b) meals on wheels and home nurse provided 2
(c) home help and home nurse provided 1
(d) clothing supplied and visiting arranged 2
(e) meals on wheels provided 2
(f) no help required 2
(g) home help only provided 1
(h) deaf aid battery renewals arranged 1
(i) all help refused 1
During the year a total of 377 aged persons or aged chronic sick persons
in the Borough received help from the Home Help Service, and the Home Nurses
dealt with 483 old people out of a total of 783 cases.
These figures compare with 378 aged persons receiving help from the Home
Help Service in 1961 and 469 old persons being visited by the Nurses out of a
total of 755.
Information supplied by the County Welfare Officer shows that during the
year 38 old people from the Borough were admitted to Old People's Homes through
the County Welfare Department, including six persons previously brought to our
notice (one in 1958, three in 1960, one in 1961 and one in 1962) and three
persons from our Meals on Wheels Service recipients. One of the 1960 cases
unfortunately did not wish to remain, returned home, and continues to be a very
difficult problem.
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.
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