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Domiciliary Occupational Therapy-Tuberculous Patients
Miss Z. Mercer, our Occupational Therapist, is still with us
and continues to have a stimulating effect on all patients with
whom she comes in contact.
In addition to her normal duties she also visits the Physically
Handicapped Club held at Eastbury House and we do appreciate
her help.
Patients are referred from the Chest Clinic by the Chest
Physician, who is always available for consultation and to give
advice when requested.
First Visits 4
Re-visits 74
Visits to Clinic 5
Total Visits 83
No. of patients on Register 7
Sickroom Equipment Loan Scheme
Over 1,700 articles have been loaned during the year and 1,482
were on loan at the year end.
The standard of equipment available is steadily improving.
Wheelchairs of the standard type are being replaced by
and easy folding types which can be easily stored in small flats,
carried upstairs and put in the boot of a car. The demand for
wheelchairs would be even higher, but for the fact that so often
the only person available to wheel the patient is the wife or husband who
is seldom physically fitter than the patient.
Bed pans are now made in a plastic material which is easy to
sterilise. Rubber sheeting is giving way to plastic sheeting
disposable incontinence pads are being used in increasing quantities.
This has given rise to another problem - how to dispose of
disposables' in a smokeless zone.
The management of heavy patients in the home still constitutes
a problem. Self-lift poles are available to those patients who, to
some extent, can help themselves. In other cases hydraulic hoists
are a great aid to the home nurse and the patients relatives who
can manage to manipulate them, although they take up a great deal
of space which can be ill-afforded in a small home.
Domestic Help Service
The Domestic Help Service has given valuable service in 920
cases and the following table shows the help given to the various
categories of case during 1964:
27