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77
WELFARE OF AGED PERSONS
In the day-to-day work of the Department, many old people are encountered
who require assistance- Their problems are varied, and because of age and
disability many of these problems become magnified and apparently insurmountable.
In these cases the Department is often in a position to assist by
calling on the Health and Welfare Services provided by the County Council, such
as Home Help Service, Chiropody and Home Nursing. There is excellent liaison
between the Public Health Department, the local Home Help Offices, and the
District Nursing Association, and by these means it is made possible for
elderly people, with the help of relatives or close friends, to remain comfort
able and well in their own homes. In this connection, the kindly eye of a
good neighbour often renders other assistance unnecessary. There is also close
co-operation between the Department and the Geriatric Department of Hackney
Hospital. In certain cases an old person may be admitted to Hospital for a
short stay in order to regain strength and sufficient confidence to return
home, and where a younger person looks after an elderly relative it is often
expedient to admit the latter to Hospital for a short spell in order to provide
a breathing space for the former In many cases, however, when an old person
can no longer manage alone and is not sufficiently fit to be admitted to Part
III accommodation, it is necessary to arrange admission to the hospital
geriatric wards at short notice, and in all these cases the staff of the
geriatric department are most co operative and helpful.
When an old person desires to enter a Home, the staff of the Public Health
Department is very often the agency requesting the Admitting Officer of the
London County Council to visit and make the necessary arrangements.
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, 1957 .. 307
New cases during 1958 121
Persons on register at 31st December, 1958 366
Total visits to aged persons 1,014
Action taken:-
Admitted to Homes 34 persons
Admitted to Hospital 38 „
Home Help Service arranged 19 „
Meals arranged 7 „
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 £1,250 to this Association, the activities of which include the
following:-
Case Work. Over one thousand cases were visited during the year.
Clubs. Twenty two Clubs are now affiliated to the Association. The Clubs
vary in size from about 50 to 400 members, and Club Leaders serve on the
Committee of the Association.
Holidays. Financial assistance towards holidays was given in 110 cases
covering approximately 200 weeks holidays. During September, there was a
special outing to Southend for housebound pensioners to see "the lights".
Two coaches were required.
Chiropody for the Housebound. Some 1,000 visits were made to 186 patients.
In needy cases the Association met half the cost of five shillings per visit.