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Care and After Care
The treatment, the preventive, and the after care services for this
disease are all inter-related and in order to achieve the best results a
co-ordinated service continued to be centred on the two chest clinics
under the general supervision of the physicians in charge.
The services provided include general welfare, home visiting,
occupational therapy and vaccination against tuberculosis.
Welfare
The advisory services of a welfare officer are available to all patients.
This officer is mainly concerned with the many medical-social problems
that can and do arise in households as a result of a case or cases of
tuberculosis occurring there. Latterly with the fall in the incidence of
tuberculosis, more cases with other chest complaints—chronic bronchitis
and lung cancer—are being seen at the clinic. These cases also have many
social problems and are helped by the welfare services. Financial advice,
rehabilitation and training, recuperative holidays, extra nourishment, etc.
—are all included in the welfare officers' sphere of work.
Home Visiting
During the year 1,603 home visits were made by the tuberculosis
visitors attached to the clinics. Their work includes advice on the home
care of patients, the encouragement of known contacts to attend the
clinic for X-Ray and medical supervision and general advice on care and
after-care arrangements. They also act as Clinic sisters at diagnostic and
treatment sessions in the Chest Clinics.
Occupational Therapy
The Occupational Therapist based at the Chest Clinic works in close
co-operation with the Clinic's Medical Staff, Medical Social Workers and
Health Visitors. Her duties include home visits to long-term home-bound
patients as well as terminal cases, and running a weekly class in the Clinic
for those patients fit enough to attend. A new venture this year was a trip
to Windsor by car which was greatly enjoyed by everyone.
B.C.G. Vaccination
Part of the routine measures to prevent the spread of tuberculosis is
the offer of B.C.G. vaccination to susceptible contacts of actual cases.
The susceptible contacts are identified by means of a simple skin test,
which indicates whether the additional protection of vaccination is
required. During the year 933 contacts of actual cases were tested.
Vaccination was offered to and accepted by 306 individuals.