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HEALTH VISITING
During 1958 there has been a further decrease in routine visiting but more 'selective'
visits were paid in accordance with modern methods.
This is not to say that routine visits to babies and children under five have been
neglected altogether, or those to the expectant and nursing mother. These visits still
form the majority of those paid and must continue to do so, even though the health
visitor in extending her activities to cover the whole family has a valuable contribution
to make to the welfare of the handicapped and the aged.
Follow-up visits to patients after discharge from hospital were paid to both the aged
and other adult patients, while visits to homes where home accidents have occurred
presented the opportunity for some instructive health teaching.
One health visitor now attends weekly at the Old church Paediatric Department and
thus acts as a link between my department and the hospital, supplying the district health
visitors and school nurses with information about the children from their area who are
attending hospital or have been admitted, and supplying to the paediatrician any background
information required.
This pattern of health visitor liaison work could well be repeated in other directions
and could help in the care of the elderly, the diabetic, the gastric and the patient suffering
from heart disease if sufficient staff were available to spare the necessary time.
The health visiting staff attended Oxlow Lane Clinic to assist in the examination
of the over sixties and in the conduct of the 'exercise class,' where they made themselves
responsible for both health teaching and exercises in much the same way as they are
responsible for the ante-natal relaxation classes for expectant mothers.
During November, the 'Guard that Fire' campaign gave further opportunities for
talks both in clinics and to various organisations in the Borough.
Work of Health Visitors