View report page

The home nurses have the interests of all their patients at heart. Many of them
are elderly people; it is amazing how much time the nurses give to them in addition
to the routine work. Telephoning doctors, taking prescriptions to chemists,
keeping in touch with relatives during unforeseen emergencies, returning late at
night to see that all is well with a patient living alone—all these tasks are willingly
and cheerfully undertaken. The aim is to try and make aged people as selfsufficient
as possible.
Meals on Wheels
A balanced diet is essential to the maintenance of health. This is particuarly
so in the case of old people who frequently show evidence of lack of proteins and
minerals. The voluntary associations with their meals on wheels services perform
a very useful and much-appreciated service. The W.V.S. in Twickenham provide
the old people with a proper meal on at least two days a week. Since August, 1956,
the Sunbury and Shepperton Council has made strenuous efforts to launch a
meals on wheels service. Arrangements were made to provide meals through the
Industrial Catering Company and in June, 1957, a meals on wheels service was
started and since then meals have been supplied twice weekly.
The chiropody service in the clinics helps to take the tired worn look from
faces and leaves the individual with a much happier expression and lighter of foot.
This year the Teddington Old People's Welfare Committee made arrangements
to send a number of old people away for a holiday at the seaside during the summer,
a holiday they would not otherwise have had. The care of old people remains a
major social problem, but more and more is being done to help them.
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR HOME HELPS
By Miss E. L. Horwill, Area Home Help Organiser
The home help knocked at the front door of one of her patients one morning.
The door was usually ready unlocked, but this morning it was locked and she
could get no reply. She suspected something was wrong and with the help of the
police she gained admittance. Her suspicions were confirmed by finding the old
man on the floor helpless by his bedside.
This old man had been living with his daughter who was trying to look after
him and run the home, but she was really critically ill. I was called in because
she collapsed. When I called in the doctor she was sent at once to the hospital
where she was found to be extremely ill and unlikely to live. I had the painful
task of seeing the old gentleman and having to tell him that there was a chance that
his daughter would be away a long time. Within a few days his daughter had
died. When he heard this he lost interest in life. He just wanted to sit in his
chair and not be disturbed. I engaged a capable home help who was very good
to him; she came in every day and looked after him, but unfortunately, in spite of
all her efforts he deteriorated and got into a bad state. He had a substantial
pension and had always lived in fairly good circumstances up to the hilt of his
income; but after a time he began spending a good bit on drink—much more than
he could afford. Soon he was surrounded with debts which worried him considerably.
Except for his extravagance, his income would have been sufficient
to pay for the home help. He got into arrears, so I reduced the time given each
9