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15
Survey of the
Elderly
additional work that was necessary to conduct the survey. It
Is hoped that a full report will appear In the medical press
during 1968.
The Chief Welfare Officer will deal in detail in another
part of this report with the survey of the elderly which 1b
taking place in the borough. The survey is the result of discussions
at the Geriatric Liaison Committee which has members
representing the hospital, general practitioners and health and
welfare services.
The aim of the survey, which will be confined to a sample
of 2,000 of the 7,000 persons aged 75 and over in the Ilford
part of the borough is, briefly, to define the extent of needs
of this sector of the population. Social welfare officers, health
visitors and district nurses are conducting the interviews; help
has been given by the Greater London Research and Intelli*
gence Unit on the design of the survey and the borough's
computer will be used in analysing the data.
Coronary
Disease
Lung
Cancer
Bronchitis
One in four of all deaths between the ages of 35 and 55
years was caused by coronary artery disease. In males death
would occur when they were at the peak of their earning power,
probably supporting young families. Most of the deaths were
preventable as it has been shown again and again that obesity,
smoking and lack of exercise predispose to coronary artery
disease.
There were a further 166 deaths from lung cancer in 1968,
mostly over the age of 66, but 6 of the deaths were In persons
under 45 and 26 under the age of 55.
A further 128 deaths were due to bronchitis. Both lung
cancer and bronchitis are to a large extent due to the smoking
habit.
Female
Cancers
Accidents
Suicide
There were 92 deaths from female cancers, 68 of the breast
and 24 of the uterus. The cervical cytology clinic by detecting
early cancers of the cervix and by teaching the technique of
self examination of the breast, is aimed towards reducing the
number of deaths due to these causes.
77 people died as a result of accidents, 37 of these being
road accidents. 6 accidental deaths were in children under the
age of 15.
Deaths from suicide remained fairly constant at 30. 6 suicides
occurred in persons under the age of 25.