SENILE CASES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19142, 27 October 1927, Page 11

SENILE CASES.

CARE OF FEEBLE-MINDED. NEED FOR INSTITUTIONS. The need for adequate carc being provided in special institutions for those suffering from senile decay was stressed by Miss B. E. Baughan, of the Howard League for Penal Eeform, addressing the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday. Miss Baughan said that of late she had come across eases of senile decay in the prisons, and fouud they were there through no fault but that of old age. This was barbarous in practice. The prisons were not heated, except in the lecture hall, but it must be remembered, that inflates spent most of their time in working, or in their cells. She instanced, the example of an old woman of seventy-four who, at the age of seventy, was sent to a home and four years later wandered away from it. She was brought before the Court, charged with, being "a rogue and a vagabond," a definition, 123 years old by Statute, of a person whose only fault was that she could not look after herself. At the age of 74 she was sent to gaol, and when the speaker, after various delays, managed to send her to a home, she was almost immediately sent to a mental infirmary as she could not be controlled properly. Another example, said Miss Baughan, was that of an old man of independent means who went from the West Coast to Wellington. He lost his memory and was run in and put in gaol where ho remained for a week while his relatives were found. A charge was actually laid against him, but was dismissed by the Magistrate. The old man's brother, who was not in good circumstances, tried to get him into an old people's home, but none could take him, as. they had long waiting lists. The brother then took hin: in, but if he had not done so, doubtless that unfortunate old man would have been put in gaol.

"I icel," said Miss Baughan, "that New Zealand is disgraced. In England they make some provision for the old and feeble-minded, but here we have nothing but the old men's and women's homes, which are full to overflowing, and where the feoble-minded cannot be adequately dealt with. I wish to urge upon the Board the whole question of dealing with the feeble-minded with which this is bound up." . The chairman (Mr 11. J. Otley) said that the question was not being lost sight of. The Hospital Boards' Association had discussed it, and the Director of Health had been approached more than once. He had expressed agreement that there should be some institution to deal with cases of feeble-minded persons. • Mrs A. E. Herbert said there should at least be special wards at the homes to accommodate such cases. If they wore adequately classified .she .was sure they could be made comfortable at the homes. Hospital Association. A circular letter on the same subject was received from the Hospital Boards' Association, urging tho consideration of the suggestion that these cases should bo dealt with in a special institution, and that the establishment of such an institution should be considered in conjunction with the-Associa-tion's proposals for dealing with tuberculosis, cases of objectionable habits and criminal tendencies.

An extract from a letter to the Board from the Director-General of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine' gave an extract for the Prisons report for the ..year: The view is held by many authorities on criminology that special consideration should be shown to what are called senile delinquents,.and that mental charges caused by age require Special attention. It has been suggested that the age of senility should be 72, and that special procedure should be provided for aged offenders who have no previous criminal record. The Department recognises that ordinary prison treatment is not appropriate for such cases; and experience has shown that where nursing care- is essential there are not proper facilities for dealing with such cases in prison.

The Board decided to refer the-whole question to the Benevolent Committee, and to ask the Government what was being done in connexion with Dr. Gray's visit to England to invesitgate the care of the feeble-minded.

Dr. Gray returned to New Zealand in May, but the Board has not yet, received any report on his investigations.