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67
(h) The National Assistance Board
The Board's Officers help in numerous matters where need is
established. Additional payments for nutritous foods in illness,
extra coal, extra blankets etc., are often made.
(i) Various other bodies play an important part in the health and
welfare of the aged. The dental and ophthalmic services are avail
able as and when required.
Contribution of the Borough Health Services
The Public Health Department under the Medical Officer of
Heal th has been responsible for liaison between the various components
of the services provided, as listed previously. Inparticular the
work of the Department is concerned with
(i) Arrangements for the laundering of soiled linen from
incontinent aged. Collections and deliveries are made from door
to door. This is of great help to those who have to care for the
sick and infirm aged.
A total of 662 collections and deliveries were made in 1956.
(ii) The special requirement for housing the aged
(iii) Visiting the Aged and Chronic Sick in relation to
Hospital Admissions and discharges Ail names placed on the waiting
list of the special wards in St. Ann s General Hospital at the
request of the family doctors are forwarded by the Hospital Almoner
to the Medical Officer of Health. Each case is visited and a
report returned assessing all the environmental factors to elicit
the degree of urgency for admission e.g. help from relatives,
neighbours, friends district nurse and home helps is the person
alone by day or night ? Is he mobile or bedridden ? Is he
incontinent ? Who provides for feeding him ?
The hospital is thus able to assess all aspects of each case
as well as family doctor s medical diagnosis priority is then
given to the really urgent cases.
At the same time as his visit the Medical Officer is able to
arrange any further services required pending the patient s admission
if the case will not be immediately admitted.
A total of 171 such cases were visited during 1956.,