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PREFACE
To the Chairman and Members of the
Urban District Council of Merton and Morden
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my report on the health of the
district during the year 1963 and wish to begin by commenting upon
certain matters of interest and importance.
The Ageing Population
I do not wish to recapitulate my remarks of last year on this subject
- they still stand - but it is not possible to ignore completely what is
perhaps one of the greatest problems of present day society and a
problem which presents in aggravated form in those old people who have
been classified as "The Unclubbables". It is difficult at first sight to
understand why certain elderly persons will co-operate whole-heartedly
in social welfare schemes for the benefit of themselves and other
similarly placed members of our community and derive pleasure and
enjoyment in doing so, while others have developed a frame of mind
which, if not wholly anti-social, comes very close to it. Clubs are
opened - they do not join, entertainments are arranged - they do not
attend. The "Meals-on-Wheels" Service could at least partly meet some
of their needs, but they are not interested, preferring the cup of tea and
a few biscuits to a satisfying, tasty hot meal. Why should this be ?
I believe that there are possibly two principal reasons for this, if
one ignores the fact that no two persons are alike and responses to the
same stimuli are so variable. The first reason is that to some people such
provisions are a too-pointed reminder of their increasing dependance
on others and of their inability to contribute in any way to the society
of which they are members. They see in them something which is
artificial and which is not of natural evolution but has been produced
specifically to meet conditions which they do not wish to acknowledge.
They cannot bring themselves to face the fact they are in any way
different from younger people and if not exactly insulted by such an
idea they are hurt to think that others should have formed that impression
of them.
The second reason is closely related to the first. Is it not possible
that we are trying to attract the interest of old people to social activities
for their welfare too late in life? I believe that intensive field work is
necessary to ensure that "aging persons" are brought into the social
fold long before they are "old people" and while they are still in possession
of faculties which can appreciate and make use of what is provided
for them.
There is also, I believe, a great need for something on a larger
and more ambitious scale than "Darby and Joan" Clubs meeting perhaps
for a couple of hours on one or two afternoons each week - I have in
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