[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Blyth Borough.

  • Blyth (Northumberland, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Blyth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/48 (page 9)
    THE PROBLEM OF THE AGED, In my report on the Congress of the Royal Sanitary Institute at Eastbourne, 1950. I stressed the difficulties that authorities were experiencing in dealing with this question. There is no doubt that people are living longer—the expectation of life is increasing and we are having among us greater numbers of old men and women. Some of these old people are in good health and are fortunate in having the use of most, if not all of their facul- ties. They require little in the way of assistance, but because they have retired it is wrong that they should be made to feel that their role as useful citizens is ended. Many have a wealth of experience which could be put to good use. I see no reason why they should not be employed in work suited to their years and capabilities if they wish to carry on an active existence and I trust that efforts will be made to make use of them—men and women alike. On the other hand not all are capable of working and some are content to live a quiet life at home with assistance in the house where necessary. This group is being admirably served by the Home Help Service. Domestic assistance for a few hours daily can make all the difference between living and existing to these people. Then there are the aged and infirm and aged bed- ridden who require (a) Care and attention in hostel or institution without hospital care. (b) Hospital care. It is increasingly difficult for doctors to obtain admis- sion to hospital for these aged persons and chronic sick. In this the hospital service has failed and it may be that small local authorities will have to take the matter into their own hands and provide accommodation of some kind —if not hospital type, then accommodation for the aged and infirm who do not need hospital attention. This need not be of an elaborate type. A hostel where a dozen old people could be cared for—yet each doing a little towards the running of the house, would do much to meet the situation. I do not think this is beyond the scope of this Borough.