View report page

65
Cleansing of Old People.—Section 43 of the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1953, provides for the cleansing in
their own homes or other suitable place by the Sanitary Authority
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 author—
ity under any enactment or to cleanse himself properly.
In this respect, during the current year, 88 baths were given
to dirty or verminous elderly persons at the Cleansing Station and
25 home baths were effected.
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.
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 co—
operation with voluntary organisations often results in the repair
or replacement of outworn articles.
By the end of the year the laundry service, supervised by the
Lady Sanitary Inspector, had been extended to 24 separate indviduals,
and in 3 instances collections and deliveries were made 3
times a week, in 10 cases twice a week, and in 11 once a week.
Since the inception of the service on the 1st September to the
31st December of the current year, the staff at the Cleansing Station
have dealt with the following articles:—
Sheets 326
Draw Sheets 108
Blankets 43
Quilts 29
Pillowcases 87
Towels 76
Mattress Covers 4
Dressing Gowns 5
Pyjamas 46
Miscellaneous articles 505