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In order to prevent injury, or danger of injury to health, Section 43
of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1953, operated by the
Borough Council, makes provision for the personal cleansing in their own
homes of aged persons who are verminous or otherwise in need of a bath.
605 baths were given to 76 old people during the year by the Borough
Council's Home Bathing Service.
Grants may be made under Section 31 of the National Assistance Act,
1948, to Voluntary Associations whose activities include the provision of
recreation and meals for old people. There are 19 old people's clubs in
the Borough, seventeen of these being affiliated to the Stepney Old People
Welfare Association.* The Council is represented on this body by the
Chairman of the Public Health Committee and other members of the Council
and by the Medical Officer of Health, and applications made to the Council
by old people's clubs for grants under the National Assistance Act, 1948,
are referred to the Association for investigation. Grants made by the
Council to the Stepney Old People's Welfare Association and to old people'
clubs during the year amounted to approximately £5,800.
A list of the clubs and facilities thereat will be found on page 69
A Mobile Meals Service is run jointly by the Old People's Welfare
Association and the Women's Voluntary Service, a weekly average of 360
meals being delivered to homebound old people during the year. The
mobile meals service was expanded this year by the provision of a third
motor van for delivering meals and also by the appointment of a paid meals
organiser. Five of the clubs, which include a luncheon club among their
facilities, provided an average of 266 meals each week. Beaumont Hall
contnenced supplying 'Kosher' meals-on-wheels this year, and by the end of
the year 654 meals had been supplied.
A Chiropody Service is provided, with a whole-time chiropodist, by
the Stepney Old People's Welfare Association at clinics situated in six
of the old people's clubs in the Borough, and on an average 325 treatments
were given each month during the year.
The Royal Foundation of St.Katharine appointed this year a visitor
whose job it is to visit and care for elderly people suffering from some
form of mental anxiety, in an attempt to prevent further deterioration
and to help them to keep active and interested in the community.
* Hon.Secretary, The Stepney Old People's Welfare Association,
St.Katharine's, Butcher Row, Cable Street, E.14.
(Telephone No. STEpney Green 3659)•
Voluntary visitors are urgently required and should apply to
the Secretary.
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