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48
reasonably priced mid-day meal in halls throughout the Borough,
or delivered by a "meals on wheels" service to the home. These,
together with the services of the Old Age Pensioners' Associations,
must receive the highest commendation from all those interested in
the welfare of the aged.
So far little attention has been paid to the needs of the aged
who are able and willing to undertake suitable employment. There
would seem to be a case for the early establishment of an Employment
Bureau for the Able Aged, where special attention could be
given to the placing of persons anxious to continue in whole or parttime
employment.
National Assistance Act, 1948: Section 47.
In my Annual Report for 1948 I cited a number of cases illustrating
difficulties in applying this section of the Act. Of the cases
in which court action was considered during 1949 I have selected the
following four to show different aspects of the work.
(1) A doctor 'phoned one morning, saying that he had a patient
requiring admission to hospital, that he had arranged a bed, but
that the patient had refused to go to hospital. The doctor detailed
the condition and surroundings of the patient, and when we agreed
that if these facts were correct, we should be justified in applying
for a court order to remove the patient to hospital, the doctor asked
how long it would take us to admit the patient in this way. On
being informed that the Assistance Act required one week's notice
to be given to those concerned, the doctor said that the hospital bed.
arranged by him, could be held open only for that morning; he
charged the department with full responsibility for the case and said
that he would create a public outcry concerning our inability to move
quickly. We could only reply that we would investigate the case
and inform him of our opinion, but that at least one week's delay was
inevitable, according to the terms of the Act. Visiting the patient
within half-an-hour we found an aged man abed in his one room.
He was unable to look after himself and the lady from whom he rented
the room stated that she was unwell herself, and that her doctor had
advised her to cease what little attention she had been giving the
patient. The old gentleman was obviously in need of care and attention,
but he confirmed that he had refused to go to hospital. We
talked with him of this and that, of his life, his trade, and his