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ciations for old people's welfare, the churches, and other voluntary bodies.
This committee is assisted by officers of the Borough Council, the County
Council, the National Assistance Board and the Women's Voluntary Services.
The Consultative Committee, as its name implies, acts only in a consultative,
co-ordinating and advisory capacity. It has held regular meetings and has
examined a wide variety of problems.
Chiropody Service.
One of the first things the committee did was to consider how to provide
a chiropody service for old people. A considerable proportion of the aged suffer
from crippling defects of the feet, aggravated by neglect. Such defects cause
pain, prevent walking and occasion much misery and disability. They arise
from deformities of the toes such as when the big toe is severely bent and
presses on the other toes, often causing the second or third toe to override on
its neighbour; this condition is often accompanied by a bunion and corns;
the toe nails are tough and difficult to cut; they press into the flesh, making
the toes tender and painful. Often the old people cannot bend sufficiently to
give themselves the necessary attention; in course of time they cannot get
about.
There are twelve establishments for chiropody in the Borough, but many
old people cannot afford the fees. The local authority has no power under any
Act of Parliament to set up a clinic. The committee were fortunate and
delighted to receive an offer from a qualified chiropodist to give her services
free. The County Council also allowed free of charge the use of their clinic in
Church Road, Teddington. Already the clinic is running to capacity with new
appointments and reappointments. The chiropodist is assisted by two members
of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the almoner from Teddington Hospital.
The Teddington Old People's Welfare Association is responsible for the cost of
dressings, although this item can be kept to a minimum if patients take care to
obtain prescriptions from their doctors. The clinic is providing a most useful
service in alleviating and curing foot defects and is performing excellent work
in preventive medicine. The committee have recently received another offer of
service from a chiropodist through the British Red Cross Society and it may be
possible to commence another clinic in the near future.
Keeping in Touch.
Our knowledge of the numbers and needs of the old people in the Borough
is far from complete; it is certain there are lots of old people who do not know
of the various voluntary organisations able and willing to assist them. It is
hoped in time to arrange for representatives from the organisations to get in
touch with all old people, with a view to offering friendly assistance should it
be required.
SAFETY IN FOOD
Poison.
During 1950 we dealt with 75 cases of food poisoning. There must have
been many more which we did not hear about. There were three outbreaks
in which the cause was identified. In the first outbreak eight people refreshed
themselves with coffee and cream cakes in a cafe in Twickenham. Soon
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