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operated by the Council augmented, by voluntary bodies are provided to
such good effect that, in many cases, the need for hospital admission
is postponed indefinitely. The number of "chronic sick" visits by
the Women Health Officers during the year totalled four hundred and
twenty.
During the year it was possible to arrange for one hundred
and forty-seven old people to be admitted to hospitals for institutional
treatment and, in addition, sixty-two cases were admitted to homes for
the aged.
Laundry
At present no direct authority exists for the Council to provide
a laundry services as such, for old people. Section 122 of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1936, enables the Council to cause any article in
the house to be cleansed, disinfected or destroyed, if it is in such a
filthy, dangerous or unwholesome condition that health is affected or
endangered thereby. The cleansing of grossly fouled bedding in cases of
incontinence may be dealt with under this Section.
To comply with the legal requirements, the Council have given
a general authority to the Medical Officer of Health to take whatever
action appears to him to be necessary under the terms of Section 122 of
the Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
In seventy-eight cases action was taken under the Section. The
bedding was marked, laundered at the Council's disinfecting station and
returned to the old people. The scheme works smoothly and appears to
fill a much felt want. Prom stocks of bedding held, the Council are able
to supply linen and bedding on loan to old people while their own is being
laundered, and where possible voluntary organisations are asked to
undertake replacements of much worn articles.
During the year one thousand separate collections of laundry
were made under this scheme, and the number of articles cleansed
totalled nine thousand, four hundred and three.
Library Facilities
The Libraries Committee co-operate in providing books for old
people confined to their homes. The circulation of the books is effected
by the Women's Voluntary Services mobile library.
Chiropody
During the year, the Council made a grant of £120 to the
Kensington Council of Social Service for the purpose of enabling the
provision of a chiropody service for house-bound old people.
All patients are referred by the Medical Officer of Health to
the Council of Social Service which administers the financial aspect of
the scheme. The British Red Cross Society arrange the treatments,
including providing the chiropodists and making the appointments.
The total number of persons treated under the home chiropody
scheme was two hundred and thirty-four and the number of treatments given
was five hundred and ten.
Meals Service
The arrangements for meals either delivered to old people in
their homes or in canteens were continued with great success by the
Women's Voluntary Services in conjunction with the Kensington Communal
Services Committee.
The Women's Voluntary Services undertake the work of verifying
the bona fides of applicants, arrange delivery of meals at the homes of
old people and collect the money (l0d. per meal). The Kensington Communal