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163
Geriatric Clinics
During the previous year, consideration had been given to ways
of improving the local geriatric services, not only with a view to
providing relief for the family doctor but also to introducing further
preventive health services for old people.
In establishing geriatric clinics, it was the Council's intention
to offer old people, who were in apparent good health, a routine
medical examination and to give them an opportunity to discuss
their problems with a doctor in a relaxed atmosphere. In no circumstances
was it envisaged that treatment should be given but that if
any unsuspected lesion was found the patient would be referred to
his/her general practitioner for attention.
In June, 1966, a clinic was opened at Charlton Lane Centre and,
by the close of the year, 5 other such clinics were in operation,
namely, at Market Street Centre, Abbey Centre, Avery Hill Centre,
Garland Road Centre and, on occasions, at the department's
Headquarters' Medical Room.
Problems revealed by patients varied from the absence of bathing
facilities in their living accommodation to the cost of replacement
of spectacles or dentures.
At the physical examination, the patient's height and weight
were measured. Their distant and near vision was tested and, if they
wore a hearing aid, this was checked. Blood pressure was recorded
and urine tested for sugar, albumen and blood. Diet was discussed
in detail and a close watch was kept for signs of any mental disorder.
Publicity was achieved by geriatric visitors talking about these
clinics at Old People's Clubs and a large number of requests for
examination came from patients whose friends had already been
to a clinic. During the year under review, 117 appointments were
made in response to requests which resulted in 94 attendances. Of
these, 28 were referred to their general practitioner, the commonest
reasons being hypertension, deafness and depression. Some of the
hearing defects were so severe that these patients were gradually
withdrawing from contact with people because they were embarrassed
at not being able to follow any normal conversation.
Naturally, the slow pace of these clinics, although very pleasing
to the patients because it gave them time to air their worries and
fears, was very time consuming and numbers were relatively small.
Assessment of the value of the clinics will be needed but this will
only be possible after they have been in operation for a longer
period.