AGED PEOPLE’S WELFARE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27675, 3 June 1955, Page 6

AGED PEOPLE’S WELFARE

WORK OF COUNCIL REVIEWED PROGRESS AT LANGFORD HOUSE The ultimate object of the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council was to establish its own centres throughout Christchurch so that the problems of the ageing could be regionalised, said the chairman of the executive (Dr. H. R. Donald) in his report at the annual meeting of the council last evening. “Two such centres are now in hand; —one at Sydenham, the old St. Helens Hospital, which will be renamed Langford House, and one in Shirley,” he said. The third, to be built on land; given by Mr and Mrs Hennessy, of Lyttelton street, was still in the plan-! ning stage. Difficulties in converting the timber I building of Langford House had exceeded expectations, when work was] started at the end of last year, he said.' The renovation of the old nurses’ home had been completed and the virtual reconstruction of the main building was now well advanced. Plans to provide covered ways connecting all the buildings and for the erection of additional accommodation to house 24 more old persons were under way and council representatives would ask the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Hanan) to approve them so that work could begin as soon as possible. The additional work, to include accommodation for 24 more persons, would cost £lO,OO0 —“a pretty good buy,” he said. At the present time ground floor and upstairs accommodation at Langford House was out of proportion. Under the new plan extra units would be built on the ground floor, which would bd more satisfactory in the housing of elderly persons. Mr Ernest Adams had given a further acre of land to the council for the Shirley Home site, he said. This additional land, together with the response to the Rotary appeal for funds, had justified a new approach to the project and an architect had been invited to draw up new plans for the home. Provisional plans had been ■produced and the final building would be one of which Christchurch could be very proud. The executive was anxious that there should be as little delay as possible in putting the plans into effect * Survey of Needs According to a survey of needs of the aged, there was, in 1953, a basic need for 300 additional beds to accommodate the aged and frail and a basic need of 130 additional beds for the infirm in the Christchurch area. But these estimates were minim?], he said. “The survey confirms that at least 6 per cent, of all old people over the age of 65 years require this special accommodation. On this basis, and assuming that the next 20 years will see an increase of at least 8000 in our pensioner population, there will in this period of time be a need for a further 500 units of accommodation. The capital cost of providing 800 units over the next 20 years would approximate to £1,000,000. Problems of this magnitude are obviously beyond the scope of charitable enterprise and their solution demands' a reappraisal of policy at the highest levels,” Dr. Donald said. The council had achieved a tremendous amount of progress and the successful appeal conducted by the Rotary Club showed that the community recognised its responsibility in helping the aged, said the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), who is chairman of the council. “What has been done by this council has raised the public conscience elsewhere and there will be a national conference to discuss the welfare of the aged in Wellington next month,” he said. Dr. Donald and the Rev. W. E. Falkingham, superintendent of the Methodist Central Mission, will represent the council at the conference. ROTARY CLUB’S EFFORT APPRECIATED ‘The Christchurch Rotary Club’s magnificent effort in launching an appeal for funds with which to provide more accommodation for the* aged, is one of outstanding importance in the annals of the city,” said the chairman of the executive (Dr. H. R. Donald) at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Aged Peoples’ Welfare Council last evening. The council passed an enthusiastic vote of thanks to the club.