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148
This Association is also most helpful in arranging for Convalescent
Treatment for children in a poor state of health, but not suffering from
any form of tuberculosis, who come to the notice of the Dispensary.
In certain cases the L.C.C. arranges for child contacts of infectious
patients to be educated in one of the Open-Air Schools as it is felt that
closer general supervision at such a school may help to prevent the child
falling a victim to tuberculosis. This is an additional function of the
Open-Air Schools which were primarily intended for cases of quiescent
tuberculosis.
During the year 9 children were recommended to the London County
Council for Boarding-out under the "Contact Scheme." 9 contact
children were recommended to the Invalid Children's Aid Association
for Convalescence.
SUPERVISION OF HOME CONDITIONS.
There are three Tuberculosis Nurses on the Staff of the Dispensary
and their duties include the home visiting of all notified cases of tuberculosis
occurring in the Borough. It is their duty to report to the
Tuberculosis Officer details relating to the home conditions of all patients.
The homes are visited at frequent intervals and the Nurses endeavour
to obtain the confidence of the patients and their families, and to help
them to so arrange their homes that other members of the family are
subjected as little as possible to infection. At the same time when the
patient is at home they offer suggestions of a simple and commonsense
nature, as to how the patient can obtain the maximum amount of benefit
to his health while living a more or less normal life.
It is also the duty of the visiting nurses to encourage the other
members of the family to present themselves at the Dispensary as
"Contacts" and to a great extent the necessary attendances of contacts
at the Dispensary is dependent on these tactful approaches by the Nurses.
During the year 4,680 such visits were paid.
The Ranyard Nursing Association, the Benson Nursing Association
and the Institute of Trained Nurses of Our Lady of Consolation, have
very willingly carried out home nursing to bedridden patients who were
either unwilling to enter an Institution, or who were too ill to be removed
to a Hospital.