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SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE BOROUGH 31
homes of frail old people who require and would like assistance with
bathing in their own homes.
During the year under review, this service continued and has been
greatly appreciated by the majority of those old people who have
requested assistance.
As was anticipated when the service commenced, more and more
old people who come within its scope have requested our help and it
was hoped that in course of time, it would be possible to obtain the
services of a second bathing attendant to cope with the increasing
demand. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to make a further
appointment and the work has continued to be carried out by the
one attendant who, I am happy to record, has proved to be a most
capable and suitable person for this work. At the close of the year,
she was visiting a total of 35 homes.
Laundering of Bed Linen of Aged and Infirm
The additional facilities provided at the Disinfecting Station in the
latter part of the previous year, by the installation of a tumbler drier
and the construction of an airing room, enabled the disinfecting staff,
during 1962, to deal with a greater number of fouled bed linen and
personal effects of aged and incontinent persons.
At the beginning of the year collections and washing of bed linen
in respect of 13 cases were being dealt with and a further 67 cases
were investigated during the year. In the majority of these, it has
been necessary to arrange for the articles to be collected at regular
intervals for cleansing and return to the owners. A total of 1,461 lots
of fouled linen were collected and cleansed in 1962, an increase of
27% over 1961.
Eradication of Bed Bugs
The methods employed for freeing infested houses include the
stripping of all paper from the walls, the removal of wooden mouldings
and skirtings and application of a blow lamp to the room surfaces.
Spraying of rooms by the disinfecting staff of the Council is
carried out, proprietary insecticides being used and infested bedding
is removed to the Disinfecting Station and treated by steam.
During the year 92 houses were found to be infested with bed
bugs and disinfestation was carried out in all cases.
Special steps are taken to ensure that the furniture and clothing
of families about to be accommodated in the Council's houses or
flats are freed from vermin. Hydrogen cyanide gas is used for the
disinfestation of the furniture, which is placed in special vans constructed
for the purpose, the process being carried out by a contractor.
The furniture of one family was dealt with during the year.
Bedding is not subjected to hydrogen cyanide but is disinfested by
steam at the Council's Disinfecting Station.