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Centres used for bathing are Tunnel Avenue Bathing Centre
and Plumstead Baths Bathing Centre, with an increased staff of
one male and one female bath attendant. To relieve the pressure
of work it is proposed in the near future to establish a small unit
adjoining the foot clinic at Lionel Road to deal with a growing
need in the Eltham Area.
The functions of this service, which are two-fold, are carried
out as originally envisaged in accordance with Section 43 of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1953.
Home Bathing—Such a service was introduced for elderly
persons not ill enough to need a District Nurse but, owing to varying
disabilities, require assistance; these include a small number of all
age groups, who due to some crippling deformity are unable to cope
either on their own or with help from relatives.
Bathing at Bathing Centres—Elderly people who are concerned
with this service are conveyed to the centres by minibus
and they consist of those persons who have inadequate bathing
facilities at home coupled with blindness, failing sight or suffer
with other physical disabilities. Hair-washing and pedicure have
become indispensable off-shoots of the bathing service for although
many old people are able to bath themselves they lack the range
of movement and dexterity to perform these very necessary
personal functions.
Tunnel
Avenue Plumstead
Number bathed at home 1,504 1,226
Number bathed at centre 1,534 1,255
Pedicure 146
Hair-washing 12
Incontinent Laundry Service
This service has been established to: —
(i) relieve the pressure on families who are managing under
extreme difficulties with seriously ill patients;
(ii) assist many old persons who, although not seriously ill,
have a stress incontinence or kidney condition
Although dealing mainly with laundry from the homes of the
elderly, this service is extended to all like cases of all ages at home
or in residential care. Collections are usually daily but they can
vary from twice to three times per week. There is no doubt but that
this service is frequently the means whereby elderly persons are
enabled to pass their remaining days among their own surroundings
when otherwise they would be hospital patients.