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27
Welfare Committee establishments
The arrangements in regard to the medical supervision of all types of establishments
under the control of the welfare department, i.e. large homes, mother and baby homes,
hostels for mothers at work, reception centres for persons without a settled way of living,
lodging houses, small homes for the aged and infirm, homes for the blind and hostels
for persons in employment, to which reference was made in the Report for 1950, were
continued during 1953.
Homeless
families units
At the end of the year 239 mothers and 459 children (of whom approximately
51 per cent. were under five years of age and 16 per cent, under one year of age) were
accommodated in the six homeless families units attached to large homes. The occasional
overcrowding of these units, due to pressure on available accommodation, continued
to give rise to many difficulties, while the concentration of a larger number of families
in one establishment, following the provision of additional accommodation, presented
fresh problems. Regular inspection of the units was undertaken by medical officers on
the central staff to supervise medical arrangements and hygiene, and in particular to
advise on the control of infection which, among communities of this type, demands
constant vigilance. Advice was also given to the welfare department in regard to special
diets for children under five years of age, and regular weekly visits were made by health
visitors to advise mothers and to give talks on mothercraft. Mothers were also encouraged
to attend sessions at neighbouring maternity and child welfare centres, and at one of the
large units a weekly session was held on the premises.
Nursery classes for children aged between three and five years were conducted under
the direction of the Education Officer at two of the large homes and at two half-way
houses.
Mother and
baby units and
hostels for
mothers at
work
Close supervision of the health of infants accommodated in one mother and baby
unit and in two hostels for mothers at work was maintained during the year, and
advice given on matters relating to diets and general hygiene. Children from one of the
hostels attended a neighbouring day nursery.
Care of the chronic sick
Continued attention was given to the needs of the considerable number of chronic sick
persons who remained in the Council's homes because of the acute shortage of suitable
hospital beds. While arrangements were made for a number of them to be exchanged
for suitable recovered infirm persons in hospital who could not be discharged to their
own homes, the number accommodated in the homes at the end of the year was 506
(106 men and 400 women). A large proportion of these residents were either permanently
bedridden or in need of treatment in varying degrees and their continued care gave rise
to many varied and complex problems. Sick bays were provided in some homes for
the care of the aged suffering from temporary illnesses for whom hospital beds were not
available.
A further conference of visiting medical officers was held at County Hall during the
vear to discuss problems associated with the care of the aged and chronic sick.
Invalid
Kitchens of
London
The provision by the Invalid Kitchens of London of meals for invalids and sick
people continued throughout the year as outlined in the Report for 1952 (page 41) and
the number of meals provided (year ended 30th September, 1953) was 128,211. During
the year the Council decided to make an increased grant of £8,000 per annum for the
three years ending 31st March, 1956.