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A total of 21 members of staff attended in-service courses on various aspects of
the work. The following subjects were included:—
Rehabilitation in the home
Domiciliary care of the patient with cancer
Loneliness
Health surveillance of the older age group.
Two senior district nursing sisters attended a special Practical Workers Instructors
course.
Observation Visits
During the year 67 persons accompanied the district nursing sisters on their visits
to patients. They were:—
49 pupil midwives
5 occupational therapy students
12 hospital student nurses
1 World Health visitor.
Integrated Courses
The programme of integrated nurse training with King's College Hospital has changed
slightly; the students now spend eight days on the district in their first year and a
longer period of nine weeks during their third year. Three students completed their
third-year programme and three new candidates undertook eight days during their
first year.
Geriatric Liaison Scheme
A district nursing sister has been working for part of the week at the Geriatric Unit
of Hither Green Hospital, acting as liaison officer between the hospital and the
district nursing service. The scheme commenced in January and initially the running
of the day hospital was included in co-operation with the physiotherapists. The
day hospital opened for two days weekly and selected patients were brought to the
hospital by ambulance. The patients were thoroughly examined by the geriatrician
and treatment recommended; the district nursing sister was responsible for passing
his instructions to the appropriate colleagues responsible for the patients.
Rehabilitation is the main objective of both the day hospital and the geriatric
wards and with the liaison sister in close contact with the district and the hospital,
it is possible to allow the patient to return home earlier perhaps with regular visits
to the day hospital. The scheme has grown during the year and the day hospital is
now staffed with hospital sisters; the district nursing sister concentrates on the
assessment visits with the geriatrician; during the year 286 assessment or follow-up
visits were made.
Bathing of Elderly People
To accommodate the increasing demand for bathing of elderly people who are not
sick but are incapacitated, due to age, an increase of bathing attendants was necessary.
Eight female and two male bathing attendants are now employed.
10,688 baths were carried out during the year, a rise of 24.7% over the previous
year—8,568 in 1968.
The nursing sisters supervise this work so that immediate assistance may be given
should any patient require nursing care.
In-Service Training for Bathing Attendants
A course of training was arranged for the new members of the staff, consisting of
five study days—one day a week for five weeks. They were instructed in hygiene,
methods of nursing care, the technique of lifting, etc. The services offered to the
elderly by the local authority were given in detail as the bathing attendant has many
opportunities for passing on valuable information. Two days revision were also
given to the existing staff who followed the course the previous year.
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