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(b) Lay hospital
Associated with the unit described above, a Day Hospital accommodating
24 persons commenced on 5th December, 1960. This has proved
useful in providing a 'stepping-stone' back to the community after inpatient
stay in Dundee Ward- and vice-versa.
Day Hospital Attendances in 1961.
Admissions 88 Persons
Discharges 65 Persons
Average daily attendance 21 Persons
Average age 67 Years
As is only to be expected many patients have to be transferred to
other care or are found unsuitable to continue attendance. However of
those that stay nearly all benefit greatly, and are happy. But for
these- attendances many of them would be in hospital care. To be convinced
of this a visit to the unit to see and understand what occupational and
social rehabilitation can do for the depressed, lonely and anxious and even
paranoid person should be made. Visitors will be made welcome, between
the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Old persons are collected by hospital bus from their homes and
taken to the Day Hospital. A midday meal is provided and return by bus
arranged in the afternoon. During the day activities are planned such
as knitting, rug and basket-making, weaving and embroidery.
On the social side, one afternoon each week is devoted to games,
and another to music, partly provided by the patients' own percussion
band, in which they all take part and enjoy to the full.
Some persons, after persuasion to attend, have defaulted or refused
to continue attendance even when it would obviously be in their own
interest to make and maintain social contacts available at the Day Centre.
Partly, the reluctance is due to the prejudice, still existing, toward
any centre associated with a psychiatric unit. Also, in old people,
seclusive habits are difficult to overcome. Attempts have been made by
the Stepney Borough Council to encourage attendance, by arranging for
visitors to be present when the hospital bus calls for the old person,
particularly at the initial visit. Such activity by staff is, however,
limited whilst there are so many other demands on their time in the care
of old people in the Borough.
SPECIAL REPORTS- OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
Special reports were made to the Public Health Committee during the
year on the following subjects:-
(1) Fish oaring premises in Stepney.
(2) Hydrocyanide Disinfestation Station.
(3) Registration of Ice Cream Premises.
(A) Stepney Smoke Control Order No. 3.
(5) Storage facilities for solid smokeless fuel in Council dwellings.
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