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An official of the National Assistance Board paid us a visit
and briefed us on retirement pensions, national assistance and
supplementary allowances, so that advice could be given and
applicants put in touch with the appropriate authorities.
In this way we were able to advise on both social and health
problems which in practice we have found are closely associated.
Regarding the old people themselves we had to make it quite
clear that we were not running another social club, and once this
point was taken the users of the club were quick to appreciate
the help we could give them.
The general practitioners on the whole are happy that we are
able to hold a watching brief over their patients; we always get
the general practitioner's permission for physiotherapy and when
we observe that an elderly person is not well or is deteriorating we
contact his or her doctor by telephone and he pays a home visit.
The co-operation has been excellent.
Each new patient has a case sheet recording the usual information,
i.e. name, age, address, whether living alone, domestic help,
general practitioner's name, Club or Church membership if any.
While many patients come as a result of hearing about the Centre
at their Over Sixties Club, quite a number are not club minded
and are only interested in the medical aspect of the Centre. At
the first visit full particulars are entered on the old persons's card
including height, weight, temperature, urine and blood pressure
and subsequently the weight and blood pressure are recorded at
each visit. If glasses are worn and the eyes have not been tested
for more than a year, the patient is asked to have a check up to
confirm that they are suitable; otherwise their eyes are tested with
Snellen's test card and type card. Enquiries into past illnesses and
present health are made and the discussion on appetite and diet is
thorough as we find this is faulty in many cases, particularly in
regard to the protein and Vitamin B containing foods. To overcome
this, the voluntary helpers are able to supply the necessary
vitamin preparations, high protein and other welfare foods and
beverages at cost prices. We get as many free samples as possible,
for Old Age Pensioners cannot afford to experiment with new
foods which they may dislike. We issue simple diet sheets advising
on the foods to select and the foods to reduce in quantity. We feel
it is not reasonable to expect old people to make drastic changes
in the eating habits of a lifetime so we point out the needs of the
older person for the various types of food suggested. A voluntary
helper runs the projector while talks are being given on diets and
home safety, etc.
Where we find there is stiffening of the hands and feet and
consequent loss of mobility we ask the general practitioner's
permission for the patient to have physiotherapy and this is given
in a group by Mrs. Curd our senior physiotherapist.
The effects of an improved diet and vitamin supplements and
the gentle physiotherapy exercises are very noticeable. At first the
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