Old People and Their Relatives

The hospitalisation of death: should more people die at home?

“…Other researchers have estimated that the unreasonable refusal of relatives to care for dying family members occurs in only about 1 per cent of terminal cases (13,14). The family is an important source ofcare and support.…”

An Enquiry into Some of the Factors Underlying the Geriatric and Social Problems in North Staffordshire

“…Lowther and W illiamson [10], on the other hand, found in 1967 that only 1.2% of 1,115 discharged patients constituted refusals. In 1967, H owell [11] reported in a London survey of 280 chronically ill patients that only 1 % were unwanted by their relatives.…”

Psychiatric Hospitals and Older People: Status Quo or Making Changes?

“…Families were often 'unreasonably willing' to provide care at home (Lowther andWilliamson 1966, p. 1460) but a sudden deterioration in an older person's level of confusion 'nearly always precipitates a crisis in the patient's family' (Anderson 1956, p. 343), the final straw for a family lacking practical support and without emotional reserve to cope with additional stress. Townsend reiterated the need for more support for older people living alone, and for families caring for them, to prevent 'dumping' (Townsend 1962(Townsend , pp.…”