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20.
The appointment of an officer (Mrs. Pike) to combine the work of
booking places in the Holiday Home, and of visiting home-bound old people,
has provgd effective, and led to further help from Hospital almoners in
the direction of both ensuring correct priority of hospital admission and
of arranging admission to the holiday home. This method also insures
against the unnecessary occupation of hospital beds, and ensures that, on
discharge from hospital the old person will be provided with home-help,
district nurse, hot meals, or other amenities required.
The S. 0. S. cards mentioned previously have been widely distributed to
lonely old age pensioners and have proved of great value on occasions.
The department has for some time been salvaging second-hand furniture
following the death or other reason for a request being made for removal
of effects. This furniture is disinfected and stored in readiness for
distribution to any indigent old person whose home is deficient in such
essentials.
In the same way, we keep a pool of bath-chairs (supported by
successive mayors), bedpans and so forth, and have found these services to
be of great benefit to the persons in receipt of them.
VI. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES.