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The register of handicapped persons shows a total of 482 fully registered cases,
Table I. During the period under review, 107 new registrations have been recorded and an
anal/sis of the disabilities is given in Table II.
Notifications are received from many sources and the circumstances of each case
are investigated at the earliest opportunity. 1,459 home visits have been carried out by
the Social Welfare Officers. Arising from these visits, many needs have been brought to
notice and items such as bath seats, walking aids, raised toilet seats, pick-up sticks, nonslip
bath mats, etc. have been issued. Sixty articles of medical loan equipment were issued
and atotal of £334 has been spent on special grants for handicapped personson the following
items:-
Adaptation of room and provision of bath.
Shared cost of Possum equipment. (Patient-Operated Selector Mechanism).
This is electrical apparatus which can be operated by a simple suck-blow mechanism
or residual muscular action and is used for severely paralysed or disabled
persons who by disease, injury or congenital defectsare left with minimal
muscular function. It enables them to control such things as buzzers, lights,
radios and typewriters.
Electrical installations for the use of special equipment for a paralysed person.
TRANSPORT
The Council maintains one coachwith a hydraulic tail-lift and two utilabuses
for the purpose of transporting handicapped persons between their homes and social centres,
and a further coach will be put into use next year. In the evenings and at week-ends,
voluntary organisations dealing with handicapped people are allowed the use of the transport
forapproved purposes. For operational purposes, the Borough's schedule is groupedwith
that of Westminster and Camden Councils in order to meet each Borough's commitments.