London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Greenwich 1971

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]

This page requires JavaScript

Elderly People in Receipt of Visits and Other Services

Number in Register at 1st January, 19717,977
Number in Register at 31st December, 19717,891
Elderly Handicapped Persons included in the above Register:
MalesFemales
65 years60 years
and overand overTotal
(i) Blind91207298
(ii) Partially Sighted2593118
(iii) Physically Handicapped3048181,122
Totals4201,1181,538

Bathing Service
This very personal service which is much appreciated by the
elderly who view it also as a social occasion to have a chat and a
cup of tea in a congenial atmosphere, operates at 3 Centres, Tunnel
Avenue, Plumstead Baths and Lionel Road.
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, and the
following table lists the facilities made available at the various
centres. Compared with 1970, total baths undertaken in the home
increased by almost 5% and those carried out at the centres by
15.5%. Demands for pedicure rose by almost 40% whereas the
need for hairwashing declined by 23%.
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