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79
Commodes 168
Fracture boards 8
Hoists 17
Mattresses6
Ripple beds 3
Rubber sheeting 5
Walking aids 24
Wheelchairs 45
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 the nursing of incontinent persons in their own homes, continues
at an increasing rate, and 145,400 pads were issued during the
year. In addition, 46,200 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 of suitable staff continues to prove difficult in the
Putney, Roehampton and Wimbledon areas. This means that home
helps have to undertake a considerable amount of travelling which
adds to the cost of the service.
The home help organisers work in close liaison with home nurses,
health visitors, domiciliary midwives and bathing attendants to