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National Assistance Acts, 1947 and 1951.
The following are details of the only two cases where it was
necessary to take formal proceedings under these acts, namely:-
Case 1. Information was received from a resident that an old
lady, aged 76 years, was ill and refusing to eat or to
see her doctor. The house was generally in a filthy
condition. The old lady was visited and persuaded to
see her doctor who advised removal to hospital on the
grounds of senile exhaustion, but she refused to agree
and repeated visits failed to change her mind.
An application was finally made to a magistrate under
the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951, and the
old lady was admitted to hospital where she subsequently
agreed to stay as a voluntary patient.
Case 2. A voluntary society notified the department that two
females, mother and daughter, were living in a ground
floor flat which was filthy, dirty and infested with
vermin. The daughter, although only 35, was bedridden
and crippled, the mother, aged 76, was hard put to
cope with household duties and care for her daughter.
In an effort to help, visits were made and it was
suggested that the daughter should go into hospital
while the flat was cleansed and decorated. Discussions
took place with the owners and they agreed to
carry out the work. In spite of every effort, both
mother and daughter were obstructive and often abusive
and it finally became necessary to apply to the Court
for an order to remove the daughter to hospital. This
was done and the flat was cleansed and redecorated and
the daughter finally discharged and returned home. A
home help is now visiting regularly,
National Assistance Act, 1948, Section 50: Burials
During the year it was ccessary to arrange six burials
where deaths occurred and suitable arrangements for burial would
not otherwise have been made.