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6
Care of Old People.

The majority of them (1,138) live alone and some require constant observation. During the year,
737 people, including 83 married couples, were visited by the two women public health inspectors,
who made a total of 3,490 visits.
Special Laundry Service.—The department continued the service, begun in 1950, for laundering
bed linen and clothing of acutely ill and incontinent or very dirty and verminous old people. During
the year, 49 cases were dealt with, some over long periods, others for a short while only. Thirty-nine
of these were new cases and each was the subject of a certificate given by the Medical Officer of Health
under the provisions of section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. The work is done by
the staff of the department's laundry at 217, Lisson Grove, N.W.8.
Bathing.—Under the provisions of section 43 of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1953, sanitary authorities are empowered to make arrangements for bathing old people at their
own request or with their consent. During the year a total of 553 baths were given, 365 to women and
188 to men, under the scheme started in 1954 for bathing old persons at the Lisson Grove Centre.
A trained nurse is employed part-time, under the general direction of a woman public health
inspector, to supervise the bathing and accompany the old people on the journeys between their homes
and the Centre.
The St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association, acting voluntarily and in close co-operation
with the department, continued to give invaluable service to the elderly. Some of the more important
activities are mentioned in the extract from their Annual Report reproduced below. The London
County Council's domestic help service and Department for the Handicapped, together with the
District Nurses, British Red Cross Society, W.V.S., and other voluntary societies, likewise were of
great assistance.
Services available for old people are summarised on pages 43 and 44.
St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association.
The Executive Committee of the Association (Chairman—Mrs. L. H. Fewster ; Hon. Secretary—
Mrs. K. M. Cowan, Room 103, Town Hall, St. Marylebone, W.l) has kindly provided the following
information, which has been extracted from the Association's Annual Report, on work carried out
during 1960 :—
" Grants.—This was a year of important changes. From 1st April the Association started receiving
a grant from the London County Council, to cover the chiropody services. This amounted to £760
during the next nine months. Instead of charging the patients 1s. 6d. for each treatment in the
Clinics and 2s. at home, it was now the rule to charge 3s. in both services, subject to certain conditions.
No charge was made to any patient receiving supplementary pension from the National Assistance
Board.
As a result of this change about half the patients now paid no fee ; by the end of the year the
L.C.C. had decided that no charge was to be made for chiropody for pensioners and arrangements
were made for another change at the beginning of 1961.
These services had been pioneered by the Association in 1951. Although the Borough Council's
general grant to the Association did not specifically cover chiropody the effect of its generous financial
support was that the Association was able to maintain these valuable services on a sound basis
for some nine years, prior to the L.C.C. taking over the financial responsibility.
The fees for Chiropodists were adjusted in accordance with the practice in clinics run by the
Statutory Authorities, and domiciliary treatments were now paid on a basis of sessions rather than
cases.
The general Borough grant starting April, 1959, was at the rate of £1,075, that for holidays £250.
From 1st April, 1960, the general grant was raised to £1,275 and for holidays to £350. Owing,
however, to the L.C.C. now taking over responsibility for chiropody the Association's applications
to the Borough Council were accordingly reduced.