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of the Borough and, in seven instances, Council premises are made
available free of charge. In addition to the eighteen luncheon
clubs, which are responsible for dispensing almost 280,000 meals
a year, and the supplying of meals to three other establishments,
viz. two for handicapped and one for elderly homebound, there is
an effective "Meals-on-Wheels" service. Daily deliveries are made
to over 1,150 homebound persons and the number of meals provided
is at the rate of 200,000 annually. A "week-end" meals service
catering for approximately 120 persons has been introduced, a
scheme which will bring to about 550,000 the total number of meals
being supplied by this department's services during the year. A
Day Club for the homebound and 4 Day Rooms have been founded
to ameliorate still further the lot of the retired person.
More recently, realizing the substantial benefits accruing to the
aged from a satisfying holiday, the Council purchased two firstclass
hotels at Westgate-on-Sea for the exclusive use of its elderly
residents and holidays have now been made available to them
throughout the year at nominal cost. Further assistance to retired
persons has been provided by the introduction of "concessionary
fares" as well as rent and rate rebate schemes.
In suitable cases, arrangements are made for the elderly to be
bathed either in their own homes or at the Council's Bathing
Centres and a special "incontinent laundry" service has been
introduced for the cleansing of soiled bed linen and clothing of the
bedridden.
By appointing a Geriatric Advisor, the Council has demonstrated
its fervent support of "preventive medicine" and, furthermore, has
introduced Geriatric Clinics for the early detection of disorders to
which the elderly become prone.
Serving the Borough are 13 libraries, 9 main and 4 part-time,
supplemented by a mobile library intended to cater for the more
"remote" parts of the area. The main branches are admirably
adapted to enable private study to be undertaken in close proximity
to comprehensive reference sections and they afford access to
daily newspapers as well as weekly and monthly periodicals. Special
facilities are provided for children, hospital patients, homebound
invalids and elderly persons and, furthermore, opportunities for
the borrowing of gramophone records and original prints by contemporary
British artists have been made available to residents
over the age of 18 years. "Large print" books are stocked for the
particular use of the elderly and partially sighted. A museum at
Plumstead, an Art Gallery at the Tudor Barn, Well Hall Pleasaunce,
Eltham, and Exhibition Halls and a Local History Section at the