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The health visitors attended at 230 ante-natal and post-natal clinics and
held 275 parentcraft meetings during April to December, 1965.
(d) Family Welfare
The prevention of illness and promotion of health involve the
health visitor in a special interest in the continued maintenance of family
life. Whether acute problems exist or where inadequancy is long term, support
is necessary. Help from workers in other specialised disciplines on a
long or short term basis is available to assist in this time-consuming and
exhausting work but the health visitor's knowledge of the families make it
imperative that she maintains the continuity of her friendship and support
throughout.
(e) Care of the Elderly
Neighbours, old people's welfare committees, clergy and other
organisations draw attention to the elderly who are lonely, ill or in need
of skilled assessment. The health visitor is able to call on the services
necessary to maintain them in their own homes for as long as possible and her
close association with the general practitioners and hospital is particularly
valuable in this respect.
The geriatric health visitor attached to the Geriatric Unit at St.Helier
Hospital acts as a liaison officer between the Local Health Authority services
and the hospital. She works with the hospital geriatrician and social worker
in the assessment of priority of need in each case referred by general
practitioners and health visitors. Frequent visits are paid to patients on
the waiting list for beds and day to day re-assessments are made. In conjunction
with the general health visitors she supervises patients in their own homes
following discharge from hospital after re-habilitation or temporary illness.
Arrangements are made for short-term holidays to relieve families who are
permanently caring for their elderly relatives. 1
(f) Care of the Handicapped
It frequently falls to the health visitor to recognise incipient mental
illness during her routine care of mothers and to maintain support during periods
of potential breakdown or during rehabilitation after mental illness.
Her longstanding friendship with the family and skilled knowledge make her an
invaluable ally at this time. Mentally handicapped females of all ages are
visited in their homes by health visitors but at sixteen years of age the care of
males passes to a male mental welfare officer. 63 mentally ill and 259 mentally
handicapped patients were visited by health visitors during 1965•
Where physical handicap occurs the health visitor has a special
responsibility to see that adequate treatment is obtained and other advice and
assistance is made available should it become necessary. Intensive support
may be necessary during the period of adjustment and adaptation to every day
living.
The two health visitors attached to the chest clinic at St.Helier Hospital
care for patients in the Borough suffering from chest conditions. They work
in close co-operation with the chest physicians, attend the consultation clinics
and make home visits. They advise tuberculous patients and their relatives in
respect of the prevention of the spread of infection and arrange follow-up
examinations of contacts. Support and assistance is given in the management
of the illness and throughout the re-habilitation period. Contact is maintained
with the family for at least five years after diagnosis and throughout the
time the patient's name remains on the tuberculosis register.
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