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Case No. 4.
Female. Aged 84 years. This case was brought to the notice of the Department by
the General Practitioner. She had fallen out of a chair about a week previously and
fractured her ribs but had taken her own discharge from hospital. When visited, she was
lying in bed without any lighting facilities in the house. There was little food in the
larder and the bedding and walls showed some signs of bug infestation. She would not
agree to go to hospital. A further visit was made the following day and her doctor felt
he had been successful in persuading her to enter hospital but when the ambulance called
for her she refused to go. Arrangements were made for home nursing and for domestic
help but a few days later the Home Nurse reported that the patient had two large bedsores,
she was lying in a saturated.and soiled bed. A further visit was made, the woman
was unable to raise herself or turn over in bed and evidently needed urgent medical and
nursing care in hospital. She would not, however, agree to go away so an Order was
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obtained under the National Assistance (Amendment) Act sending her to Langthorne Hospital.
Unfortunately, this patient died about 10 days after admission.
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