Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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26
(g) Visiting
The women health officers visit old people in their homes when it is
brought to the attention of the Health Department that such persons
are in need of care and attention. It is the function of the visitors to call
in such welfare services as are necessary to help prevent the further
deterioration of the old person to such a condition where they have to
be considered for either voluntary or compulsory removal to a place
of safety. This procedure has proved to be very successful, and it is
rarely nowadays that an old person cannot be properly cared for in his
own home with the support of the domiciliary welfare services. The
number of visits paid to the elderly is shown in the following table:
Table 20
W | N | S | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
First visits | 75 | 77 | 129 | 281 |
Futile visits | 93 | 195 | 72 | 360 |
Revisits | 846 | 1671 | 506 | 3023 |
Total | 1014 | 1943 | 707 | 3664 |