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In addition to this total supplied to the home, the British Red Cross Society and
Women's Voluntary Service between them have supplied up to 20 meals a day for
persons attending the Ealing Day Treatment Centre. The meals are cooked in the
kitchens of each Society and taken by van in heated containers to where they are
required. There is no doubt that one good meal a day is of great assistance to those old
people who, through physical or mental disability, are unable to cook adequate and
wholesome meals for themselves. It is not putting it too strongly to say that a service
of this nature could prevent the physical deterioration which often follows a diet of
bread and butter and tea, which is all many old people are able or willing to prepare
EALING DAY TREATMENT CENTRE
The Ealing Day Treatment Centre has continued to provide facilities of the greatest
value in the care and treatment of the elderly disabled. Patients attend daily from
9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and the treatments available include physiotherapy, occupational
therapy and chiropody. In addition patients have a routine hearing test and have their
eyes examined by an ophthalmologist. Apart from physical treatments special
attention is paid to raising the morale of those who are lonely and lack social contacts.
Following a visit to the Camden Road Medical Rehabilitation Unit a programme of
daily exercises to music has been started and it has been found that this is of great
benefit to patients' morale. Naturally, not all patients are able to carry out all the
exercises but they do those that they can, and enjoy the community feeling that the
daily sessions produce.
A report on the Day Treatment Centre was published last year by The Lancet and
reproduced in the 1962 Annual Report, and following this there was an increase in
the number of visitors from all parts of the world to see the work that is being done.
They included a group of American Public Health doctors, a Delegation from Iran
and a group of Swedish Doctors and Welfare Workers. Visitors generally appeared
most interested and often expressed the view that they would like similar facilities
for treating their own elderly handicapped.
116 patients were admitted during the year, which is a slight increase on the previous
year's figure of 104. Of these patients, 15 were being admitted for the second time and
five for the third time. Many of these patients have more than one disability, but taking
the main diagnosis, usually that which brings the patient to the Centre in the first
place, they were classified as follows:
Arthritis and allied complaints 32
Neurological diseases (including hemiplegia 17, Parkinson's Disease
4, Disseminated Sclerosis 5) 29
Diseases of the cardiovascular system 18
Diseases of the respiratory system 4
No major ailment, or senility only 20
Others (including diabetes) 13
This pattern shows no significant differences from that of the previous year. The
average age remained high at 75. The districts from which patients attended were:
Hanwell, W.7 28
Ealing, W.13 26
Ealing, W.5 34
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