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Since the scheme started the following have applied for treatment:—
Elderly persons 710 441 receiving treatment
Physically handicapped 16 16 „ „
Other 21 20
Nursing mother 1
Waiting list—98 elderly persons.
The need for chiropody in the elderly is a continuing process, so much
so that it is seldom possible to discharge this type of patient from treatment.
By lengthening the periods between follow-up treatments it is possible
to take on new cases, but this is rather a slow process. The only answer
is more sessions for chiropody and here the limiting factor is the shortage
of chiropodists.
Sixteen sessions are held each week and in order to try and serve the
needs of as wide an area as possible, these sessions are held at various
clinics throughout the district.
Domestic Help.
Essentially set up as an emergency service for providing domestic
help for households faced with some sudden medical crisis, this service is
mainly concerned now with providing help to the aged and those suffering
from some longstanding illness. Shortage of staff, together with difficulties
in recruitment has necessitated the need for a very careful assessment of
help granted in individual cases, and also the institution of a scheme of
priorities with cases of home confinements and acute illness of a mother
with a young family high on the list. By careful budgeting the Home Help
Organiser and her Deputy, although not being able to give the full quota
ol help asked for in all cases, at least try to supply some degree of help
each week to each case.
The average number of home helps employed was 1 full-time and 78
part-time being an equivalent of 48 full-time home helps. Assistance was
given as follows during the year:—
1. Maternity Cases 380
2. Acute Illness 220
3. Chronic Sick and Tuberculosis 116
4. Mentally Disordered 7
5. Aged and Infirm 693
Total 1,416
Demands on this service are heavy and are likely to increase in years
to come. The development of health and welfare services in the future
places much emphasis on the expansion of domiciliary care and while
this will affect all services this is especially so in the case of domestic help