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WEEKEND MEAL SERVICE
A weekend meals on wheels service was inaugurated in April, 1968, to operate on Saturdays,
Sundays and Bank Holidays throughout the year. The service is limited to a maximum of 200 meals
on each day, which are supplied from the kitchen at Hillside'. All other kitchens which
normally prepare meals for the delivery services are closed at the weekend, and as kitchen
staff were not prepared to work it was not possible to provide dietary meals, or a higher
number. Only cases in urgent need, recommended by tiio Council's home visitors, can therefore
be provided with the weekend service. No difficulty was found in obtaining delivery staff.
A total of 11,932 meals were provided during the period April to December, 1968.
GERIATRIC PREVENTIVE CLINICS
The three Geriatric Preventive Clinics (known for publicity purposes as "The Health
Advisory Circle for Old People") at Pine Street, Drayton Park and Blythe Mansions continued
during the year.
Dr. J. Clarke, Senior Medical Officer conducted the medical examinations at the Pine Street
clinic which were held on a weekly basis in the early part of the year, but from May onwards
on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month only.
Dr. D. E. Sharland, the consultant geriatrician of Whittington Hospital, who kindly
volunteered his services for this work at the inauguration of the clinics, continued to
conduct the medical examinations at Blythe Mansions until April, 1968, when he indicated that
he was no longer able to attend on a regular basis. Dr. Sharland, has, however, continued to
attend at six-monthly intervals, both at Drayton Park and Blythe Mansions, for the purpose
of following up the cases originally seen by him.
Dr. J. E. Hurman, Principal Medical Officer, carried out weekly clinics at Drayton Park
in the early part of the year. After Dr. Sharland ceased regular attendance, it was arranged
that Dr. Hurman should undertake both Drayton Park and Blythe Mansions clinics, on the basis
of one session per week, clinics being held at either centre, depending on the waiting list.
Applications were received direct from some pensioners, others were referred by the area
visitor, their general practitioner, etc. The health education sessions, set up in September
1967 at each of the clinics, assisted in no small measure in encouraging the elderly to attend
for medical examination. A total of 144 applications was received during the year, 35
subsequently withdrawing their requests for a variety of reasons.
When a request is received for an appointment at one of the clinics, the medical practitioner •
is informed and is invited to submit details of any relevant medical history which may be of
interest to the examining Doctor. At the examination the patient is interviewed and medical
and social history forms are completed. The examining doctor then completes a medical
examination, including the arranging of tests for audiometry, chest x-ray, and haemoglobin,
if required. In all cases the medical practitioner is given a full report on the examination.
Facilities for chiropody are conveniently available in premises adjoining the three clinics,
and any chest x-rays are carried out at Drayton Park (patients from Pine Street and Blythe
Mansions being taken by transport if necessary.)
LAUNDRY SERVICES
The laundry service for incontinent persons (most of them elderly) was provided from the
Treatment Centre at Seven Sisters Road. During the year 3,883 collections of laundry were
made (involving 37,509 articles). The service was being provided to about 144 persons at the
end of the year.
The Finsbury Laundry Service for elderly chronic sick was continued throughout the year.
As instructed by the Council, no new cases were added to this service, and the number of
recipients fell from 25 at the commencement of the year, to 19 at the end of the year. 638
parcels of laundry were collected during the twelve months under review.
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