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Cleansing of Old People.—Section 43 of the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1953, provides for the cleansing of
any aged person in the district who:
(a) is verminous or for any other reason in need of cleansing
in order to prevent injury or the danger of injury
to health; and
(b) is so enfeebled that he is unable to avail himself of any
facilities for cleansing himself provided by the authority
under any enactment or to cleanse himself properly.
In this respect, during the current year, 20 baths were given
to dirty or verminous elderly persons at the Cleansing Station and
38 home baths were effected. In addition, arrangements were made
for the living accommodation and household effects of 40 elderly
persons to be generally cleansed and, where necessary, disinfected.
Laundry Service.—Under Section 122 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936, the Council is empowered to cause to be cleansed
"any articles which are filthy, dangerous or unwholesome and
liable to affect or endanger health." Advantage has been taken
not only of this section but also Sections 124 and 194 by your
Medical Officer of Health to introduce a laundry service in order
that his department can suitably deal with what has always been a
major problem, namely, the treatment of badly soiled clothes, bedlinen,
etc., from the homes of elderly people.
Cases in need of such assistance are brought to the notice of the
department by Hospitals, District Nurses, Doctors and by ordinary
routine investigation of complaints.
From the Council's limited stocks of bedding and clothing it is
possible in certain circumstances for temporary supplies of linen,
etc., to be made to people whose own is being laundered, and cooperation
with voluntary organisations often results in the repair
or replacement of outworn articles.