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67
Mattresses 11
Ripple beds 2
Rubber sheeting 5
Walking aids 49
Wheelchairs 50
The Council's provision of home nursing equipment is supplemented
by the British Red Cross Society. In addition to commodes
and wheelchairs, the British Red Cross Society provides
smaller items of equipment such as air rings, bed pans, urine
bottles and crutches. The Council is continuing to make a grant to
the Society to assist in maintaining stocks of equipment.
Incontinence pads service
The issue of incontinence pads, which are of great assistance
in home nursing of incontinent persons, continues at an increasing
rate, and 136,500 pads were issued during the year. In addition,
42,500 interliners were issued for use in special protective pants
provided by the Council. Protective pants and interliners are of
particular value for ambulant patients, including subnormal and
handicapped children. Most households make their own arrangements
for disposal of incontinence pads and interliners, but in
some cases it is necessary to arrange collection and disposal by
incineration.
Home help service
The increasing numbers of old people living alone, of early
discharges from general as well as maternity hospitals, and of
mentally sick persons living in the community place very heavy
demands on the home help service. It is often possible to give
only a thinly-spread service in attempting to share the available
staff among those who need the service. Bank holidays and weekends
are always difficult periods in which to provide service but,
thanks to the willingness of the home helps, it is usually possible
to help the most urgent cases.
Recruitment has been a little easier this year except in the
Putney, Roehampton and Wimbledon Parkside Estate areas. This
means that home helps have to undertake a considerable amount
of travelling which adds to the cost of the service.
During the year we received delivery of a mini-van especially
equipped to deal with those cases which require service of a more
intensive nature. This has proved to be a most successful addition
to the service. The driver is normally accompanied and assisted
by the home help who will eventually provide the routine service
for the household.