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47
her to recognise at an early stage any deviation from the normal
and when she meets this she can put her preventive skills to work,
both in the social and physical fields.
Wherever possible the health visitors try to integrate the
elderly into the community and thus encourage community care. Many
elderly people do valuable voluntary work at our clinics and others
will often visit the less mobile elderly in their own homes.
Facilities are available in four of the borough clinics for the
over sixties to attend for a full health examination. This is
done with the co-operation of the general practitioner, who receives
a detailed report of the health examination. If further investigations
or treatments are required these are arranged by the general
practitioner. We endeavour to make our health advisory clinics
for the elderly as sociable as possible. Tea and biscuits are
provided, informal discussion is encouraged and short health education
films are shown.
It is hoped that this encouragement of preventive and
community care will relieve some of the stresses and strains of
growing old.
The health visitor has an important role also in the field
of health education. For this she has two aims. She tries to
influence a group of people to adopt certain attitudes by increasing
their knowledge and awareness. She also tries to interest groups
of people in contributing to the welfare of the community by
discussion and suggestions as to how they as a group can give help.
For instance, the mothers at one mothers' club may decide to provide
transport for some elderly people to attend their luncheon clubs or
they may organise a non-profit making baby sitting service, or a
"mother's free day's shopping" circle. They may organise children's
outings or entertainment for the elderly, or have jumble sales and
raffles to help a charity.
Health education in a more specific way is given to antenatal
women by preparing them for confinement and their new role as
mothers. Thus problems which often used to accompany the arrival
of a first born are prevented from arising.
The services of health visitors are being used increasingly
in schools for the purpose of health education. Some give talks
and demonstrations in secondary schools and also in primary schools.
Some provide a full syllabus of weekly lessons on such subjects as
"Human Biology" and "The Family and Society", while others give a