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and Welfare Departments of the Council, the Old People's Welfare
Council and the Women's Voluntary Service, close contact is
maintained with the hospital geriatric services in the area which
have proved most helpful with individual persons requiring urgent
in-patient accommodation. In many cases, old people have recovered
sufficiently from quite serious illnesses to be able to
return home with the support of the appropriate personal health
and welfare services.
Requests for visits to be paid to old people are received from
many sources and it is often the health visitor who pays the
initial visit at which it is possible to assess the needs of the old
person. Where appropriate, details are referred to the Welfare
Department or Old People's Welfare Council. The health
visitor continues to visit where the old person is very frail and is
likely to need medical care. During the year 1,455 first visits were
paid by health visitors to persons aged 65 years and over, and a
further 192 persons were visited following discharge from hospital.
Under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act, 1948,
amended by the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951, the
Medical Officer of Health is empowered to apply for an Order for
compulsory removal to a hospital of persons who are suffering
from grave chronic disease or being aged, infirm or physically incapacitated,
are living in insanitary conditions, unable to devote to
themselves and not receiving from others proper care and attention.
Most aged persons in need of care and attention avail themselves
of the day-to-day services of the voluntary and statutory organizations.
Occasionally, however, every service is refused and in these
circumstances compulsory removal may become necessary, although
this step is invariably taken with the greatest reluctance on the
part of all concerned.
In March, compulsory removal to hospital was needed in the
case of a bed-ridden woman, aged 82, residing alone in distressing
conditions. She was suffering from leukaemia, and succumbed to
her illness six weeks after admission to hospital.
STAFF TRAINING
Sponsorship of students to recognized courses of training and
in-service education courses are important methods of recruiting
and retaining staff and maintaining a high standard of service.
The London Boroughs Training Committee have assisted with the
recruitment of health visitor students and have arranged a number
of short courses for various grades of staff to meet special needs.
The Council sponsored six students for the Health Visitors'
Training Course during the year. They commenced their one-year
training course in October, 1965, and should return to us as