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Heals on Wheels
The provision of mid-day meals once a week cooked at the Town Hall staff
canteen and conveyed to the homes of the housebound elderly or chronic sick was
discontinued at the end of January, 1954, when this service was taken over by
the Invalid Kitchens of London,
Negotiations between the Borough Council, the Old Folks Fund Committee and
the Invalid Kitchens of London Association resulted in an agreement whereby the
Association was prepared to provide a van to carry meals daily to the old and
chronic sick of Brentford & Chiswick on an understanding that every effort would
be made to keep the numbers large enough to use the van to capacity. The Borough
Council was to pay a grant for every meal supplied so that the cost of each meal
would be kept down to 10d. It was also thought desirable that since the ratepayers'
money was involved a certificate of sickness should be obtained for each
applicant and all the application forms were to be signed by the Medical Officer
of Health,, There was no need to worry about keeping up the number of meals as
in a very short time the number of applicants far exceeded the capacity of the
van, and there has been, of necessity, a waiting list since shortly after the
scheme came into operation. The meals are of good quality and can be varied
according to individual needs as every day in addition to the ordinary meals
prepared, there is a menu of light dishes suitable for special classes of invalids.
From February to December, 9,266 meals were provided for 99 old persons. The
recipients were not always willing to accept meals every day and they were quite
at liberty to ask for meals to be supplied on single days or on two or three
occasions each week.
GENERAL
The Superintendent of the local St John' s Ambulance Association and the
Divisional Director of the British Red Cross Society have kindly supplied
information concerning their welfare work in the Borough: -
St . John' s Ambulance Brigade
(1) Attendance at sports meetings, public gatherings and
entertainments to render first aid if required.
(2) Conveyance of patients by ambulance to supplement the
County Ambulance facilities.
(3) Maintenance of Comforts Depot from which supplies of
medical equipment can be issued on loan.
(4) The provision of instructors for classes in first aid and
home nursing to Civil Defence volunteers, adult and
youth groups.
(5) Voluntary aid in hospital wards male and female.
(6) Provision of nursing attendants for meetings and outings
of old persons organised by the various Old People's
Associations.
(7) Courses of lectures on first aid to factory staffs and
local factory fire brigade personnel,
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