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118
Health education in schools
At the invitation of Head Teachers, health visitors continued
to give talks in a number of schools throughout the year.
Similarly, doctors were asked to speak, in some instances to the
schoolchildren and in others to Parent-Teacher Associations.
Health education in schools takes many different forms
according to the particular curricular policy of the school. A
number of schools invite the health education team from the
I.L.E.A., who have numerous prepared illustrated talks, suitable
for different age-groups, on a wide range of health subjects.
During 1972 the Divisional Education Officer was approached
to see what further assistance the health education services of
the Health Department could give to the schools in the Borough
and the position was being examined in detail at the end of the
year.
The Health Education Council's project on the control of
Venereal Disease in the Community
The Borough co-operated in this project, in which Wandsworth
and Lambeth are the two trial areas, both by representation on
the Steering Committee and by receiving publicity material on
test. An illuminated box display unit was tried out in three
colleges of education, in the Arndale shopping arcade and in
the Council's libraries.
Care of old people
Old people, despite all the services available, often do not
avail themselves until they become very ill. The health visitor
has a unique opportunity to reach old people and discover needs
before they become too serious. The link between the health
visitor, the home nurse and the family doctor is obviously
essential for the effective care of old people in their homes and
the system of attachment of community nursing staff to general
practitioners does much to ensure continuity of care. Besides
health visiting and home nursing the Health Department also
provides home bathing services and chiropody for old people.
Family casework and problem families
At the beginning of the year four problem families were being
given support by the Social Workers (Health Services) who are
attached to the Health Department by the Inner London Education
Authority. In May, responsibility for the supervision of one of