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Hospital authorities will provide and maintain intermitten haemodialysis equipment and provide the
relative medical services. They will also pay for the extra cost of electricity and for the installation and
rental of a telephone where necessary. Hospital authorities have not, however, power to make adaptations
to the home.
Adaptations required in the home preparatory to the installation of dialysis equipment can be carried
out by Local Health Authorities under Section 28 of the National Health Service Act 1946, subject to the
approval of the Minister of Health. Circular 2/68 from the Ministry of Health offers further guidance to
local authorities on the measures to be taken in assisting patients for whom hospitals are able to provide
home dialysis.
Three patients referred from the Royal Free Hospital and one from the London Hospital have been
assisted with adaptations to their homes prior to the installation of home dialysis equipment during the
year.
HOME HELP
This service continues to operate from three area offices, each staffed by a home help organiser,
an assistant organiser and a clerk.
The year under review was particularly difficult with regard to recruitment of suitable home helps,
despite a small increase in the hourly rate of pay from the end of September 1969. Demands for the service
are constant and, owing to the shortage of staff, it is unfortunately often only possible to provide a minimum
amount of help to some of the elderly folk. One organiser reported that in her area there had been a lot of
movement of recipients of the service, with new flats opening and old property being cleared. New housing
improves the situation for the home help, but many of the elderly do not appreciate moving and there are
initial "teething" troubles in the flats which create problems.
In this same area, the family referred to in my report for 1968 continued to receive regular service
from the same home help who is now a valued friend of the family. This is a family of father and five
children deserted by their mother. The home was dirty, the children had few clothes and the father was left
with many debts. With the assistance of the home help all the debts have been cleared, the flat is now clean
and well furnished and the family really happy, clean and well dressed. In addition to this family, the home
help also copes each day with three old people, one completely bedridden and she has displayed a devotion
to service beyond that which could be reasonably demanded.
All the organises pay tributes to the loyalty and hard work of the majority of their home helps who,
despite many emergencies arising from outbreaks of illness, including the influenza epidemic, have given
unstinted service, including, in many instances, additional help, to elderly folk and to children in their own
time.
STATISTICS
65 or over on Under 65 on first visit in 1969
first visit in 1969.
Chronic sick
& Tuberculous.
Mentally
Disordered.
Maternity
Other
Total
Cases 1969.
1968.
2,252 130 5 34 196 2,617
(2,254) (140) (7) (39) (205) (2,645!
Home Helps employed at end of 1969 (whole-time equivalent) : 135.5 (153)
93