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COURSES
The Principal School Dental Officer attended the annual conference of the British Dental
Association. Three members of the staff attended courses on X-ray development.
CARE OF THE AGED
In 1965 I indicated that the number of old people in the Borough was over 37,000 at the
last census, of which 10,500 were aged 75 or over; more than 10,000 of those of retirement age
were living alone, I stated that, as part of our plan for the care of the old people, we proposed to
introduce organised regular visiting based on areas, with geriatric visitors working from welfare
centres and had in mind increasing the number of geriatric visitors from 9 to 20. This was done and
geriatric visitors were posted to our main welfare centres, thus providing local officers for the old
people throughout the Borough.
Regular three monthly visiting of all those over 75 years was our first priority after emergency
visiting. The number of persons on the registers of the geriatric visitors rose from 3,173 at
the end of 1965 to 4,737 at the end of 1966.
In addition to routine visits with the object of keeping the old people healthy we have for
a long while included the old people in our health education programme and have organised film
shows and talks at clubs and organisations throughout the Borough. As part of the development of
the geriatric visitor service we introduced, at certain of our centres, films and discussions directed
to the specific needs of old people in a programme with general films. The old people enjoyed the
afternoons out and the attendances at the centres where we commenced this arrangement averaged
30-50 and geriatric visitors reported that the value of the teaching was evident. We are planning
an extension of this activity and geriatric visitors took courses of instruction on film projection
so that they may widen the scope of their health education activities. Health education for the elderly
is not of course confined to group activity; in their daily meetings with the elderly, health visitors
as well as geriatric visitors are continually acting as health educators. Particular attention is
paid in the winter months to the problem of low body temperatures in older people and the adequate
heating of their home.
CHIROPODY SERVICES
The aims envisaged in my report for 1965, namely the provision of chiropody clinics at
each of our main welfare centres, expansion of the domiciliary service and the reduction of the
interval between treatments for patients, has now largely been achieved.
Our chief chiropodist (Mr. H.J. Prior) commenced his duties on 1 April 1966, and carried
the responsibility for the implementation of this policy.
DEVELOPMENT