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to promote discussion on a variety of subjects dealing with pregnancy,
confinement and various matters connected with the upbringing of
children. Midwives also attend certain of these sessions as part of
the team and specialise in subjects such as the preparation for confinement
and the use of analgesia in labour. There appear to be
more mothers referred to these classes by family doctors than
formerly.
Health Education in Schools and School Clinics
Health visitors in this Area are appointed as health visitors/
school nurses. In this dual capacity trained health supervision is
given to children from birth to school leaving age. Much of the
school nurse's work is, however, undertaken by clinic nurses as
auxiliaries to the health visitor. Attendance at specialist and minor
ailment clinics, following up defaulters from school clinics, routine
medical inspections and hygiene inspections in schools are part of the
work of the school nurse. A full-time school nurse, Mrs. Hurrell,
is also provided for the School for the Physically Handicapped.
Group discussion as part of health education in schools is
undertaken by health visitors and one school nurse. All these have
special training and aptitudes for enlightening young teenagers on the
principles of healthy living. The aim is to make these occasions
easy and informal so that these young people are free to ask questions
as they will. Pupils take part in the demonstrations, the use of
visual aids and discussion on a film or film strip. Many pupils
keep their own written and illustrated books as a record of the matters
discussed. This activity appears to be very much enjoyed by the
school children. Many girls, too, make an opportunity to speak
alone to the health visitor/school nurse about personal matters. Two
hundred and fifty-six classes of this kind were held In schools during
1961.
Visiting the Aged
Much of the work of home visiting in the Area is undertaken
by the Old People's Welfare Associations of Hornsey and Tottenham.
The visiting of the elderly by health visitors falls mainly into two
groups. The first is those aged people who are referred by hospital
almoners and family doctors who ask for social visits to be made
following hospitalisation or illness. Most of these are elderly people
who are unable to care for themselves properly and may be an
anxiety to their relatives or neighbours or may be expected to return
to hospital at a later date. The second group are those who are
reasonably healthy, housebound and limited by reason of their advanced
years from doing as much for themselves as formerly and who need
the various services available explained to them and arrangements
made to put them into effect when they are acceptable.
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