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89
ADVISORY SERVICE TO SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTORATE
In 1972 the Health Department appointed 3 senior medical officers to work
with the principal medical officers in the Personal Health and Child Health Services,
This enabled us to restructure the work within the department. We were thus able
to provide more clinical information and advice on individual children with whom
the Social Services Directorate were dealing, in particular, in the pre school age
group where our knowledge of children is well documented in the Observation/
Handicap Register. Of particular concern in this group has been the abused child,
with more incidents coming to our notice than in previous years. We are still
far from satisfied with our system of identification and follow up of this vulnerable
group.
A structured system of liaison between the Social Services Directorate,
local hospitals, family doctors, our own department and other workers involved
needs to be established to close the gaps in our present procedures. We are looking
closely at how best to provide help for the families of these children which is both
practical, readily accessible and continuously available.
During the year a senior medical officer took over responsibility for school
medical examinations of primary school children in a large group home, working
closely with the visiting medical officer, the consultant psychiatrist, social workers,
and school nursing staff, in dealing with medico social problems arising in any of
the homes.
With our increased medical staff, we were able to make more frequent visits
to the homes for the elderly and achieved a better understanding of the needs of
the residents and the problems of caring for them. Over the past few years many
more residents at the time of admission are in their 70's - 90's, frail, physically
handicapped, mentally confused and incontinent, needing a lot of individual
physical care and attention. In some homes, up to 30% of residents need
individual help with personal toilet. With an increasing average age goes a degree
of general apathy which is difficult to overcome. Time to sit with and talk to
old people is an important part of the caring situation. There is a need for staff
with time and skills to provide mental and physical activities and encourage
residents to take part in community life both in and outside the home.
Dr. N.C.Walsh,
Chief Medical Officer