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41
The Work with the Elderly
Health visitors are becoming more and more involved with the care
and support of the elderly in the community and this becomes more
meaningful with the development of attachment to group practices. The
follow up work of the elderly after bereavement has continued for another
year and has given comfort to those involved after the shock of the death
of a partner. This has constituted a heavy load for the staff but the
service has been much appreciated and has provided a source of referral
of new patients at risk in the elderly group. The elderly people on the
health visitors register have grown in numbers showing an increase of
234 to a total of 1,037 for 1971. One hundred and twenty old people who
were under observation died during the year. An old peoples club was
started once a week during the afternoon at Kenmore Clinic and has
fulfilled a great need in this area, being well attended on all occasions.
Services for the Incontinent Patient
At the request of doctors and/or hospitals, incontinence pads and
interlinings are supplied to patients who require them and this service
fulfills a very real need. An interesting feature of this service is the fact that
the pads and interlinings are now being manufactured at the Adult
Training Centre. This has many advantages in that modifications to the
pads and interlinings, for example, degree of thickness, size and shape, etc.,
can now be easily arranged to suit individual patients' requirements. At
the same time, the trainees attending the Adult Training Centre have been
provided with both a satisfying and worthwhile task. In addition to this
service, the incontinent laundry service provided with the assistance of the
Edgware Group of Hospitals helps with the problem of nursing the
incontinent patient at home. The laundering of fouled laundry is always a
tremendous problem and the help given by the Hospital Group in organising
this service is very much appreciated.
Marie Curie Foundation—Day and Night Nursing Service
The Foundation nurses continue to provide a much appreciated day
and night service, mainly confined to terminal cases of malignancy. The
Department has had available the services of one Foundation nurse and
19 cases were nursed during 1970. These were all night nursings and
provided the relatives with much needed relief and assistance.
Discussion Groups
The discussion groups lead by a Psychiatrist with wide experience in
group work has once more proved to be supportive and instructive to the
field staff especially to newly qualified staff and new health visitor appointments.
These discussions give the staff the opportunity to receive special
guidance with family problems in the community and have been most
helpful and stimulating. The need for the guidance of staff in the supportive
role to patients following bereavement has been part of the topics in