View report page

GENERAL HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICES.
National Assistance Act, 1948.
National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951.
Removal to suitable Premises of Persons in need of Care & Attention.
Several cases were brought to the notice of the department where a person, usuallyaged,
was in need of institutional or hospital care. In most cases, arrangements were
made either for the patient to enter voluntarily or the position to be adequately alleviated
or remedied by the provision of the after-care services such as domestic help, home nursing
etc. In four cases, however, as a last resort when no other suitable alternative was
possible and all efforts to secure the initial voluntary admission of the individual failed,
action was necessary under the above Acts.
Relevant details of these cases were as follows:-
Case I.
Female aged 78 years. This case, living alone, and with no known relatives, had been
under surviellance by the department for some time but despite this, deterioration of
her physical and mental state occurred. Owing to refusal of all forms of assistance and
nourishment, in addition to personal neglect, she bacame malnourished and her clothing,
person and premises were in a filthy and insanitary condition. Following approval by
the Health Committee in January, an Order was obtained under Section 47 of the National
Assistance Act and she was removed to the Part III Accommodation at Langthorne Hospital.
After admission she settled down well, agreed to remain their voluntarily and no further
extension of the initial order became necessary.
Case II.
Female aged 69 years. This case,.living alone, had been under the care of her private
practitioner and the health department for some time. She was suffering from a severe
degree of a chronic ulcerative condition of the right leg and general infirmity. Her
person and clothing were in a filthy state and her home in an insanitary condition.
All efforts to help her by the services of her doctor, district nurse and domestic help
were refused and her condition deteriorated. Action was taken under the National
Assistance (Amendment) Act in co-operation with her private practitioner and admission
to hospital obtained. No extension of the order was required as she settled down well
and remained in hospital until fit for discharge by which date the premises had been
disinfected and cleaned and adequate arrangements made for her*after-care in which she
was willing to co-operate.
Case III.
Female aged 99 years. This patient blind and partially deaf, living alone and with no
known relatives, had been previously cared for by neighbours, and by the services of the
department. Following one of several falls, she had been admitted to hospital with a
head wound but refused to stay there for the necessary treatment. On return home, her
general condition deteriorated, she bacame bedfast and unco-operative both in carrying
out the instructions of her private practitioner and In the dressing of her head wound.
Illness of her neighbours also reduced the amount of supervision and care freely given
to her. Action was taker, under the National Assistance (Amendment) Act and admission to
Langthorne Hospital effected. No extension of the order was necessary, as after admission,
she settled down in the hospital quite happily and at the end of the year, although very
frail, was being allowed up for a certain period each day and looking forward to
celebrating her 100 th birthday.
80