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84
WELFARE OF AGED PERSONS
During the year under review, a not inconsiderable portion of the time of
the staff of this Department was again devoted to activities connected with the
welfare of aged persons.
As in previous years it was found that the problems facing elderly people
were many and varied. The Department gave every assistance possible to many
persons, but in a number of cases it was necessary to call on the health and
welfare services provided by the County Council. With the assistance of the
Home Help, Home Nursing and other services, it was made possible for a number
of aged persons to continue to live reasonably comfortably in their own homes,
Elderly people are reluctant to leave their own familiar surroundings, and it
is frequently difficult to persuade them to accept the necessity for admission
to a hospital or home. In one case it unfortunately was necessary to resort
to the statutory powers for compulsory removal contained in the National
Assistance Acts; this was the case of an old lady living alone in insanitary
circumstances, and suffering from malnutrition, and all our efforts to persuade
her to go to hospital were in vain.
The following is a brief statistical summary of the activities of the
Department relating to aged persons-
Persons known to the Department at 31st December, 1956 202
New cases during 1957 121
Persons on register at 31st December, 1957 307
Total visits to aged persons 951
Action taken:-
Admitted to Homes 18 persons
Admitted to Hospital 36 "
Home Help Service arranged 26 "
Cleansing treatment arranged 70 "
Meals arranged 10 "
Admitted to hospital under compulsory removal order 1 person
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948 SECTION 31 (Contributions to old people's
organisations). Under this Section the Council made grants to the two
following organisations:-
(a) Hackney Association for the Welfare of Old People. The Council
made a grant of £lt200 to this Association, the activities of which included
the following:-
Case work. 654 cases were visited
Clubs. Some 20 Clubs are affiliated to the Association, the membership of
old people amounting to over 7 000. Club Leaders serve on the Committee of
the Association.
Holidays. Holidays for approximately 100 old people were arranged, the
average cost to the pensioner being £1 15s. Od. plus cost of fares.
Chiropody. Considerable difficulty was experienced during the year owing
to the shortage of Chiropodists so that many of the old people did not have
the same service as in previous years nevertheless some 588 visits were made.
The cost per visit was 2s, 6d , but for those in receipt of National Assistance
and other needy cases, this was paid by the association.
Meals on-Wheels Some 8,326 meals were served during the year. The service
operates four days a week, and each person receives a meal two days a week.
The cost to the old person is lOd. , and the balance is made up by the Association
to the extent of 2d, , and by the London County Council to the extent of
10d The cooking of the meals for this service is now done by the Invalid
Meals for London kitchen in Lower Clapton Road.