The organization, administration and some early experiences of the effect of a weekly visit to a day hospital, in a group of former in-patients over 60 years who are known to have been living alone since discharge from hospital, are discussed. The patients were selected by a random sampling method and divided into control and treatment groups, from a list which had been prepared over a period of 18 months. The physical and mental health and social adjustment in both groups were assessed at the commencement of treatment and at 6 monthly intervals.