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needs of a wider public has not been forgotten.
We were fortunate in securing the services of an experienced geriatric liaison
officer, Mrs. J. Harrold. She is proving a very welcome addition to the staff.
COMMUNITY SURVEY OF AGED
There are some 2,000 cases served by the domestic help service which contain
a high proportion of older people. A survey of these cases was started to assess
any need of ophthalmic or dental treatment, district nurse, etc. Visits have been
made by the Senior Domestic Help Organiser and a Senior Medical Officer.
Talks have been given on health topics to groups of older people. These have
been designed with a view to helping both pre-retirement groups and those people
already retired.
GERIATRIC LIAISON OFFICER
This post was instituted on the 20th October, 1966, and during the period to
31st December, 1966 (ten weeks) the initial work was obviously of a preparatory
nature, with the emphasis on the co-ordination of domiciliary services - the main
hospital discharges. Time has also been taken on making contacts and having good
relations with the various agencies and departments.
75 cases were reported in this period; of these, 48 were hospital discharges.
HYPOTHERMIA
Arising from findings in other parts of the country that old persons may be
suffering from the effects of accidental hypothermia, i.e. excessively low
temperature, without this being realised, home nurses were equipped with special
low-reading thermometers, and a small pool of equipment for emergency heating was
set up at the Nurses' Training Home at York House.
However, the winter of 1966 remained comparatively mild, and only two cases
of hypothermia, both of a temporary nature, came to light. In both cases the
sub-normal temperatures lasted for one day only and were attributed to age and
inactivity.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT. 1948
Section 47
It unfortunately became necessary to remove two persons (one aged 91 years
and the other 73 years) from their homes as being unable to care for themselves
and not receiving adequate care find attention from others.
The action taken was a last resort, and both the patients died in hospital,
one two days and the other six days after arrival there.
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