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(c) Poster propaganda and lectures to selected groups are undertaken.
(d) A comprehensive convalescence service is available for all
age groups to ensure recuperative convalescence after debilitating illness
and to build up resistance to disease in selected individuals.
(e) Provision has been made to assist the domiciliary nursing of
sick persons by the loan of sick room equipment from loan cupboards.
12. Home Help Service.
This service is under the control of a Home Help Organiser with an
Assistant and one clerk.
To strengthen the service the Superintendent Nursing Officer undertakes
review of special cases and advises on domestic needs and co-operation
with other services.
Four permanent home helps (two full-time and two part-time) are employed
and 108 casual home helps.
In 1952, 738 persons were attended for varying periods. On an average,
2,189 hours per week were given to persons and families by home helps0
Maternity and sickness cases form a small proportion of this number (about
four per cent), the majority (over eighty per cent) being old people and
chronic sick nursed in the home by relatives, friends and the Council's
nursing services. In a number of these cases, free services of the home
help are sanctioned by the Health Committee.
The Home Help Organiser has drawn attention to a special problem with
the following observation:-
"There is also the question of cleansing supplies and equipment for
these old people. Many of them have been living for years at subsistence
level and cannot replace such things as brushes, pots and pans, and
cleaning materials. It would be a tremendous help to this service If
there could be some arrangements with the appropriate authority to provide
such things, either directly to the people needing them or to some sort of
pool, from which we could draw when necessary."
No facilities exist for the training of home helps.
13. Health Education.
(a) This difficult problem is tentatively approached by -
(i) Occasional talks to selected groups on chosen subjects
(e.g. kitchen staffs, food handling, etc.)
(ii) The sale and distribution of selected literature.
(b) Accidents in the Home. Prevention of accidents is advocated by -
(I) Special efforts by health visitors to advise in the homes.
(ii) Films shown and talks by experts from the Crusader
Insurance Company to mixed audiences.
(iii) Distribution of pamphlets to Old People's Clubs and old
people through the Women's Voluntary Services (who run
the clubs), Welfare Services, Home Help Service, and
the Health Visitors.
(iv) Lectures to old people (organised in conjunction with the
W.V.S.) to Old People's Clubs and 'Darby and Joan' Clubs
by selected lecturers.
14. Mental Health
(i) Admlnistrationo
(a) The Mental Health Committee - a Sub-Committee of the Health
Committee - is responsible for the service.