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DAY CARE SERVICE
The experimental day care service, commenced last year as an adjunct to the home
help service, continued during the year. By this service, help is given to aged persons
in selected cases by neighbours or persons living in the immediate vicinity, and is
intended to cater for those persons who are chronically ill, or bedridden and living
alone and who require visiting and attention several times a day.
HOME NURSING
The home nursing service for the borough is carried out on an agency basis by the
East London Nursing Association and the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine. Patients
given service during the year numbered 2,405 involving 90,730 visits. Approximately 56
per cent of the patients were aged persons.
The increase in baths given to homebound persons this year, plus the stepped-up
issue of disposable pads for the incontinent, has relieved the district nurses of some
time-consuming work thus enabling their services to be put to more advantageous use
commensurate with their training and qualifications.
LAUNDRY SERVICE
Soiled personal clothing, bed linen, etc. is collected at least twice weekly from
the homes of persons who are incontinent, and cleansed and laundered in the laundry at
Branch Road cleansing station. (Statistics on page 110).
INCONTINENCE PADS
Special commercially prepared disposable pads and/or knickers are supplied free in
suitable cases for use by incontinent and chronically ill aged persons.
LOAN OF NURSING EQUIPMENT
Articles of nursing and sick room equipment are loaned free of charge for an indefinite
period to persons being nursed in their own homes at the request of the general practitioner,
district nurse or hospital medico-social worker, etc. The Council purchased many
items of additional equipment required to meet requests for loans. In addition equipment
is loaned by the British Red Cross Society and by the Council's Welfare Department to
handicapped persons. (Statistics on page 111).
DOMICILIARY MIDWIVES
The Council operates a domiciliary midwifery service under Section 23 of the National
Health Service Act 1946, by an arrangement for utilising the services of midwives employed
41.