PITIFUL PLIGHT Of AGED

Chronicle (Levin), 9 April 1949, Page 5

PITIFUL PLIGHT Of AGED

Press Assoeiation )

Call For Renewal Of Family Responsibilities

(Per

AUCKLAND, April 8, If the rec'ommendations of the report of thfe committee set up to investigate the plight of several thousand old people at present livin'g -in AucklauU^ in appalling conditions of squalor and misery, afe put into effect, their iot wiil ■ be materially improved, The committee responsible . for thc. report is compriSed of Dr. J. A. Oddie, medical superihtendent of the Cornwali Hospital; Mr. S. E. Langstone, secre i,ary of the St. "John Ambulance Assp . ciation; the Rev, H. A. Johuson, and Messrs. C. F. Bennett and R. S, Harrop. The report li&s .bfe&a referred to the Alinistet Of Health, Miss Howard. Causes listed • by the committee as being responsible for the present state of emergeney in re'gard to the care of old people, afe the increase -in the pro-' portion of- old people due to~ the lowered birth-rate between wars and the m crease in expectation of . life, lack ut toresight in the past .as to the conse quenees- of- this increase, the increasing lack of sense of. family responsibility and the cha'nging attitude of the people to their -duties, and moral obligations, the gradual deeline in the spirit ot voluntary service and the apprication of Christian principles, errors due to the abuse of socialism and soc.al secUrity and tb mistakes in thew admiiiistration-. While there was a certain amount of voluntary and official effort being made to deal With the situation, there was lack of cooperation and absence of co ordinated planning, continued the report. Before any comprehensive policy could be found to meet the situation, au extensive surv6y and the cooperation of all intereSted parties would have to be obtained. An official coordinating body representative of such bodies as the Government, eity and borough eouticils, the Health Department, hospital and education boards, housing and town planning committees, churches and religious bodies, the St. John Ambulance and Red Cross, old people 's asso-ciat-ions, women 's organisations, boards of management of Old People 's Homes. prominent and interested private citizens ahd the general public, is recotnmended. There were four main objectives iu dealing with the situation. They were the creating of circumstances so that elderly people of the community. could pass their da.ys in comfort and security, the discouragement of the attitude that advancing age meant ;ui increasing burden on relatives and the community, and a reaiisation that an improvement in the conditions of old people could be brought about chieriy through a revival df the spirit of ser viee and a renewal of the sense of family responsibilities.