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Letters of appreciation have been received from many of the
old people concerned, and all those participating expressed their
utmost satisfaction when seen by the Woman Health Officer on their
return home. No applicant was placed on the waiting list.
Advice Leaflets
The Council arrange for the publication of a pamphlet
giving information on the services available in the borough for
old people individually or through a club. The pamphlet was revised
during the year and a new edition printed.
The Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance send to
every person in London reaching retirement pension age, a leaflet
giving general information on welfare services for old people.
S.O.S. Cards
Window display cards are provided by the Council, bearing
the letters "S.O.S." in red on one side, and on the reverse side
directions how to use the card, with space for particulars of nextof-kin
or nearest relative. These cards are distributed to
appropriate old people. Any person seeing one of the cards in a
window is able to summon help from one of the sources given on the
back of the card. The local press have generously assisted in
making this service known.
Institutional and Domiciliary Care of the Aged Sick
Institutional care, home nursing, sick room equipment and
home helps are provided by the London County Council. Hospital
treatment, medical care,ophthalmic, dental and pharmaceutical services
are provided under statute by the Minister of Health.
One Hospital Management Committee in the northern portion
of the borough utilizes the part-time service of a local medical
practitioner as a clinical assessor to decide the priority need for
admission of all patients submitted to that Hospital Group as being
in need of hospital treatment and classed as "chronic sick." Cases
on the chronic sick waiting lists of St. Mary Abbots Hospital in
the southern part of the borough are visited and assessed by the
Council's women health officers. This ensures the early or immediate
admission of patients where the need is urgent on medicosocial
grounds. There is usually no difficulty in the admission
to hospital for the treatment of acute conditions.
Where necessary, medical care, home nursing, home helps,
convalescent holidays, financial aid and pensions are arranged with
the appropriate statutory bodies. These, together with various
services 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 711. It was necessary to arrange
for 23 old people to be admitted to hospitals for institutional
treatment and, in addition, 15 cases were admitted to homes for the
aged.
Domiciliary Cleansing
Arrangements have been made whereby old people's living
accommodation and household articles are cleansed and, if necessary,
disinfested. Thirteen old people were dealt with in 1962.