London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Greenwich 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough.
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64
Aged and Physically Handicapped Persons.—Problems
connected with old age continued to increase because more of our
population are reaching advanced years. It is important that apart
from the "welfare" and "first aid" services provided by local
authorities old people should be made to realise that they are still
an integral element in the community. Nothing is more demoralizing
than to feel that with waning physical powers an old person is
unwanted and considered an irksome burden. Too many elderly
people find difficulty in filling their days when they retire and part
of their lives if possible, on retirement, should be devoted to some
form of creative activity. Loneliness is another difficulty but in
this borough no reasonably active old person need be lonely for there
are numerous clubs devoted to their interests. These clubs can be
an important clement in their lives and are in a unqiue position to
influence and guide people of advancing and advanced years in the
" philosophy of old age."
Great reliance is placed on the Lady Public Health Inspector by the elderly of the Borough and the following is a summary of her work during 1956:—
| No. of dirty premises inspected | 28 |
| No. of verminous premises inspected | 9 |
| No. of dirty rooms cleansed | 48 |
| No. of verminous rooms cleansed | 27 |
| No. of verminous persons visited | 19 |
| No. of verminous persons treated :— Heads | 139 |
| Other | 61 |
| No. of visits to scabies cases | 12 |
| No. of visits for Cleansing Service:— First | 46 |
| Subsequent | 58 |
| No. of articles cleansed | 7,676 |
| No. of inspections of factories :— (a) with mechanical power | 49 |
| (b) without mechanical power | 4 |
| (c) other premises | 3 |
| No. of inspections of Outworkers' premises | 86 |
| No. of inspections of Houses Let-in-Lodgings | 12 |
| No. of inspections of Women's Conveniences | 16 |
| No. of Bathing Centre sessions | 41 |
| No. of Home baths | 69 |
| No. of visits to Infirm Persons | 1,360 |
| No. of visits to Rest Homes, Hospitals, etc. | 29 |
| No. of visits, re: housing | 22 |
| No. of visits to Food Premises re: Meals for O.A.Ps. | 29 |
| No. of Miscellaneous visits | 203 |
| No. of re-inspections, calls made, etc. | 285 |
| No. of interviews for Holidays | 70 |
| No. of interviews at offices | 99 |
| No. of complaints received | 41 |
No. of Intimation Notices served Nil