GROWING PROBLEM

Chronicle (Levin), 22 November 1949, Page 5

GROWING PROBLEM

Lack Of Stiilable Homes For: Ejderiy Pioifle (Per M$£iution) WELLINGTON, Nov. 21. . The adinission of eideriy and mlirni persons to niShtal .Hospitals in New eZa1 land, was commented on today by the • direptor of the merita! hygiene divisiou jof the Health Departmeiit, Dn j. Russell. He was referring to a discussion of this qufestion at a recent meeting of tae Wanganui Hospital Board. Df. Russell (jadted references td the probletn iii the last two aiiiiual reporiv of the division. Referring to recent ad thissidil&, ittbiudihg Sevdral person; oVet 90 yearS df kge, he said it diffieult tb believd that pefsUils ot thii fige could hot bfe caied fdr ih gdnel-al hdkjfitals prpvided Jhey had sufiieiehl etaff. DraWing attentidii to the ihcrehSirtg number df old people beifag eafed fpf ih niental hospitais, the director said in his report for 1947 that 'sa large prbpdrtion oi these eases could be lookeri after in homes suitable for their oWn particular condition. They require vefy largely no specialised form of treatroent for their mbhtal cbnditioh, oiiiy Sympathgti'e caffe ahd supervisidh hlbng with gliidahbe into a inore ordeteiy afid rotitine life which tfhs so heeessafy fbi thbm. Th'e adiiiissilni of mahv of these old people is due to thb Shdrtagb' Of hxirsing stafl; gehefally ahd lack df oth er suitable homes for their earfe. I cohsider they are wbll cafed for in ouf hospitais but their presence in increas ing nurcbers adds a considerable burd en to our depleted nursing.staff and is responsible very largely for the oVercrowding of accommodation in our hospitais. ' ' In his last report Df Russell said his remarks about elderly people in his report of the previous yeaf were now even more applicablb. There had been a further increase in the number of patients df both seieS over 70 years of age in oiif hospitais. These now totalled ovef 1000. "There has been evidence, howdver. ciufing the year,' of increasing interest in this problem by sbcial and chufefi agehcieS in Nev? Zeklahd, " thfe rbp'drl added, "and it is hoped that adequale provision will be inade for the age'd in suitable homes apart from mental hospitais. The experienee and adviee of tlie medical ahd nursing stai? of this division woi^ld be available to such hptnes when completed, if desired and roquested. Even the most. diffieult of seru. ile cases can be managed and direeted into a more orderly and amenable way of life and the staff of the divisidh would, I t'ohsider, be able to give valuable assistanfee." The report, said that at the end_ of last year, there were in mental hospitais 1000 patients in excess of the aeeommodation "considered necessary fdr their care. i Dr, Russell illustrated the position today bv saying that during the past fortnight eleven persons over; 70 years of age had been admitted to mental hospitais in New Zealand. Six of these Werfe adihissions from genefal hospitais. Two of'the admissions from generhi hospitais were persons over 90 years of age hhd the otheis were over 80 yeafs bf age. v "It is. diffieult to believe persohs ot this age could not be cared fdr in geiieral hospitais provided they have shfificient staff," said Dr. Russell. "The staff in mental hospitais, of course, i's more depleted than in general hospitais and no admissions have been refusbd. Unless, however, suitable girls pnd women a re willing to assist in caring for mental invalids, it may become necessary to refuse admissions of such cases. " The definition of a mentally defective person in the Mental Defectives Aet 1911, includes "persons mentally infirm," and "persons who, through men tal infirmity arising fi'om age or decav bf their faculties, are iricapablB of managing themselves or their affairs."