CARE OF AGED

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27634, 15 April 1955, Page 14

CARE OF AGED

NATIONAL TALKS IN JUNE

INVITATIONS SENT THIS WEEK (New Zealand Press Association) ' WELLINGTON, April 14.

A national conference on the care of the aged will be held in Parliament Buildings from June 14 to 17. This was announced today by the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Hanan). The Minister will preside. Invitations were sent this week to organisations concerned with the health and welfare of old people. The Minister said that investigations into the problems of old people during the last four years haa built up a comprehensive picture, and had shown that a satisfactory method of dealing with a never-ending problem depended on the co-operation of all who were working on it and the co-operation of their excellent work. Some co-ordination had been achieved already, and he hoped the conference would take this much further. Religious and welfare organisations were performing a very fine service in their care of the aged, the Minister said.

The Government felt that considerable progress had been made during its term of office, both in the provision of accommodation, for which the' Government had approved subsidies and'grants of more than £600,000 to religious and welfare organisations and local authorities, and in other activities by these bodies and by Government departments. ;

The conference would provide opportunity to examine the situation thoroughly, and it was proposed to set up committees of delegates to consider different aspects and report to the con ference, said Mr Hanan.

He believed the conference would achieve two worth-while results—in directing public attention to the problem’s and needs of old people, and in bringing to light constructive recommendations for dealing with these problems and needs in the future.