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(3) The maintenance of a medical equipment loan depot at No. 16 Heathfield
Terrace, Chiswick, W.4., open on Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays from
7.30 to 8.30 p.m. and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.
to 12 noon.
(4) Occupational therapy for the disabled ex-Service pensioners and for
the Chest Clinic cases.
(5) The provision of a library service for home bound tuberculous patients.
(6) Home visiting in cases of distress and the provision of urgently
required clothes, food and household articles or home nursing.
(7) The provision of volunteer workers to travel to and from hospital with
sick, aged, blind people or children.
(8) The supply of instructors and examiners in First Aid and Home Nursing
for adult and youth groups and for Civil Defence volunteers.
(9) Red Cross Home for the Aged. Administration of Red Cross Convalescent
Home for Patients from the Geriatric Ward at West Middlesex Hospital.
(10) Attendance at permanent and temporary First Aid Posts when required.
In addition, there is a flourishing Junior Red Cross Unit at Chiswick, some
of whose members help at the local hospitals.
WELFARE OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED
The County Council is responsible, under the National Assistance Act. 1948
for the provision of welfare services for the blind and partially-sighted.
There are resident in the Borough 97 blind and 34 partially-sighted persons.
21 of these are in full-time employment: 2 are in Workshops for the Blind and
3 are Home Workers, receiving augmentation and supplementation of earnings from
the County Council. The remainder are not available for or are not capable of,
training or employment, owing to age or infirmity or for some other reason.
There are also 6 partially sighted and 6 blind children under the age of 16
years, 9 of whom are at Special Schools. 1 young blind person over 16 years of
age is still at school and 1 blind person and 1 partially-sighted person are
undertaking vocational training.
The County Council provides a Home Teaching service for the visitation of
blind and partially-sighted people in their own homes, the object of which is
to enable partially-sighted and blind people to lead as full and active lives
as their handicap allows. The duties of the Home Teachers include advising blind
and partially-sighted persons on all problems relating to their welfare and of
all the available social services, assisting them in overcoming the effects of
their disabilities, giving instruction in Braille and Moon systems of raised
type, in handcrafts and, where appropriate in the deaf-blind manual alphabet.
A handcraft class is held fortnightly at Christ Church Hall Turnham Green.
A County Council Old Time Dancing Class for the Blind is held weekly in
Ealing and a number of blind residents in the Borough attend. The County Council
works in close co-operation with Voluntary Organisations including (a) The
Middlesex Association for the Blind who maintain a Holiday Home at Littlehampton,
two Residential Homes for the Blind and assist individual necessitous blind
persons and (b) The Social Club for the Blind which meets fortnightly at Christ
Church Hall, This Club is maintained and managed by a voluntary Committee.
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