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A little more emphasis is placed on follow-up visits to the
elderly, in particular those recently discharged from hospital.
Numbers in this category might be expected to increase with the
forecast rise in life expectancy.
I should like to mention here the very commendable efforts made
by many school-children from several of the Senior Schools in
Walthamstow, who assist the Health Visitors by visiting elderly people
in their homes on a "social basis" . Monetary and material needs
provided on a statutory basis can never hope to provide or cover
the small everyday personal requirements so important to the
individual.
One frequently reads of the irresponsible behaviour of young
people. It is, therefore, very rewarding and also reassuring, to
know of our young citizens who are prepared to give their time to
undertake these visits which are greatly appreciated.
Local British Red Cross Groups have also contributed greatly in
providing whenever asked special services to the elderly and handicapped,
in particular to those who live in Warburton Terrace which
is a group of bungalows specially designed for those with some
degree of disability.
The main aim of Public Health is the prevention of ill-health.
For this service to be carried out efficiently adequate staff must of
necessity be provided. This often is easier said than done when
there is a general shortage of Health Visitors.
For many years, we, like other local authorities have employed
State Registered Nurses to assist existing staff in clinic and
school work, thus relieving the Health Visitor from duties which do
not require such specialized training. These nurses play an
important part in the public health team, performing duties connected
with school medical examinations, surveys and immunisation programmes.
Section 25. HOME NURSING
The outstanding training and educational activity of the year was
a joint study project for ward sisters and district nurses sponsored
by the County Borough of West Ham with the backing of the Royal
College of Nursing. The theme was the continuous patient care in
hospital and community and most of the hospitals and home nursing
services in East London were invited to participate.
Ward Sisters from Whipps Cross Hospital visited Walthamstow and
accompanied district nurses on their rounds. They were able to see
patients under treatment who had been discharged from hospital, and
others who would need to be admitted to hospital were it not for
the effectiveness of the home nursing service. Exchange visits were
arranged and a number of the district nursing staff visited Whipps
Cross and Langthorne Hospitals in order to see the institutional
aspects of the problem, and in particular patients who would