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57
Meals-on-Wheels
7,529 meals were delivered through the service organised by the Committee; and 3,962 by
the Women's Voluntary Service.
General Welfare
During the year 1,839 office interviews were conducted, 761 domiciliary visits and 204
club visits made; in addition, numerous enquiries and problems were dealt with by letter and
telephone.
Borough Services for the Aged
Laundry Service for the Incontinent Aged
The service is provided under section 84 of the Public Health Act, 1936, and in 1959 705
collections were made by the Public Health Department.
Baths
Many old people received assistance from the facilities provided for free baths and are
reassured that if they need help they can rely on the Baths Attendants.
Library Service
31 housebound old people were visited regularly during the year and deliveries totalled
4,238.
Hospital Services
St. Ann's General Hospital has wards providing 100 beds (60 female and 40 male) for the
chronic sick, and the possibilities are being explored of providing also *day hospital* treatment.
Facilities for occupational and physiotherapy would cater for those patients not requiring fulltime
hospital care and would help to meet the problem of infirm old people who are alone all day,
but whose relatives can look after them during the evening and night.
Weekly notification is received from St. Ann's General Hospital of the names of patients
put on their waiting list for admission to the geriatric wards. These cases are visited and a
report furnished to the hospital on the home circumstances to enable the hospital to give priority
to those cases in most urgent need of hospital care.
Welfare Homes
It is the statutory duty of the County Council to make this provision but there is at present
no home in Tottenham.
Admission to the homes outside the Borough is still difficult owing to the shortage of
accommodation, and a number of beds at the hospital become blocked by patients who are
considered by the hospital authorities as suitable for transfer to a welfare home but for whom
accommodation is not available.
National Assistance Act, 1948, Section 47
It was found necessary to exercise these powers on one occasion in 1959. This step was
taken after all other possibilities had been explored of dealing with the problem without resorting
to compulsion. The person concerned was an old lady living in rooms behind a grocer's shop.
She was in a very neglected condition with clothing badly soiled and smelling as a result of a
discharge, but she strongly resisted all efforts to assist her.