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40
Late Night Visiting and Night Nursing Service
The late night nursing service providing visits from 7.30 p.m.
to 11.30 p.m. approximately was continued, and the two part-time nurses
engaged on these duties paid 1,778 visits to 204 patients during the year.
This extension of the normal district nursing service was a great help to
many patients, but did not of course meet the needs of those cases
requiring care and attention throughout the night. Almost all of these
were terminal canser patients whose relatives were doing their best to
look after them at home rather than that they should be admitted to
hospital.
The Marie Curie Memorial Foundation have for many years past
paid for the services of night nurses to look after cancer patients, but
they generally rely on the local health authority to obtain nurses and at
times there have bean difficulties in finding suitably trained staff at
short notice. Towards the end of 1970 a pilot scheme was started in the
borough and a trained nurse and a nursing auxiliary employed by the Council
to undertake night nursing duties far terminal cases or the aged who are
very ill. The Marie Curie Memorial Foundation continued to reimburse the
Council the coat of the service when the nurses attended cancer patients.
Nursing Aids and Equipment
An increased range of aids and equipment is now available for
assisting the nurse in her work both for the handicapped and seriously ill,
thereby helping the patients to remain in their own homes.
Accidental Hypothermia
District marses visit regularly many elderly "At Risk™ cases, and
they are aware of the serious ri3ks of accidental hypothermia. Special
emergency kits for use in such oases are provided.
Care of In.eonta.nent Patients
There is a laundry service far sheets which are supplied to
incontinent patients. Disposable pads and accessories are also provided
for such patients.