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Poster Displays in Clinics
In order to make the greatest impact, poster displays in clinics are concentrated
on one subject at a time and original presentations of posters, supported with other
display materials, are changed at frequent intervals.
Local Press
Arrangements were made for an illustrated advertisement for vaccination immunisation
to appear in the local newspapers for two weeks during the summer. The representatives
of these newspapers have been most co-operative in giving publicity to health matters.
SECTION 29 - DOMESTIC HELP
The Domestic Help Service continues to give an enormous amount of practical help
to the aged, chronic sick, and also the acutely ill, mentally ill, problem families,
maternity cases and mothers suffering from toxaemia.
LOCAL TRAINING COURSES
The Domestic Helps provide practical help of a kind which is easily understood by
everyone with whom they come in contact, and letters of appreciation from recipients
are received almost by every post. Also the Domestic Helps are in closer touch with
those they attend than any other local authority worker. For these reasons and also
from a desire to keep morale high amongst a group of workers whose turnover is much
higher than one would wish, it was felt that a course of training was likely to do much
to improve the service and at the same time give the Helps the support that comes from
realising that they are part of the health services team.
It was therefore decided to arrange the course described below with a maximum
amount of group discussion and visual presentation, as it was felt that pen and paper
methods of instruction were inappropriate to a body of women whose way of life was
strictly practical and who had left school many years ago. Two courses were in fact
held - each for approximately 65 Helps - and the second was of. course modified to take
advantage of the experience gained on the first. In those few instances where they
differed the details found most successful are what are described. The course was confined
solely to the subject of the Aged.
Six two-hour sessions were held on successive Tuesday afternoons (a time when very
few Helps were employed on their duties). The 65 were divided into groups of seven or
eight each with a leader chosen from amongst them. Each session started with a discussion
in groups of a specific question, and then in plenary discussion the leaders reported
back to the person on the platform (usually the. principal speaker on the subject of the
day).
The first session began with group discussion on the question "What do you find
most trying in dealing with old people?" which was followed by plenary discussion of
this subject with the Area Medical Officer. Some of the subjects emerging included the
way old people follow the Help about, how they do not understand present-day conditions
or prices, forgetfulness, suspicion or general nastiness perhaps related to jealousy
of the Home Help's health and strength, and a very wide variety of interesting and at
times amusing difficulties.
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