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PREVENTION OF ILLNESS, CARE
AND AFTER-CARE
Clinics for Older People
There are two clinics for older people. Dr. Joan Ferreira reports
on the clinic at Amity Grove as follows:—
'The demand for new appointments continued during the year
and, in spite of increased sessions, there is still rather a long waiting
list. A growing proportion of patients are referred by their own
doctors, the rest come on their own initiative.
'At the clinic examination, general and pyschological needs are
assessed, and appointments with the Health Visitor are made accordingly.
Special attention is given to the socially isolated, the bereaved,
and the recently retired.
'Our main efforts are directed to preventing people from getting
old before their time and we try to do everything possible to make
ageing a maturing rather than a disintegrating process.
'The clinical examination is repeated annually and patients express
appreciation of the chance to discuss questions they would consider
too trivial to bother their doctors about. This is possibly why the
examination seems to have a therapeutic effect in itself.
'If medical or surgical treatment is required patients go to their
own doctor, but we do try to treat known health hazards such as
smoking addiction and obesity.
'The examination includes four screening tests which in our
present state of knowledge appear to have some value. These are
cervical cytology, measurement of intraocular tension, blood and
urine sugar estimation and haematological examination.
'This clinic has the same mixture of detection and prevention of
disease, health education and the promotion of well being with which
we are familiar in conventional child health centres. Perhaps in a
modified form this may become the acceptable way of caring for the
older person in the general practice team of the future.'
Attendances were:—
Number of new patients seen in 1971 Male 22
Female 68
Number of re-attendances in 1971 Male 227
Female 460
Average age of new patients 64
Dr. W. B. James makes the following observations on the Middleton
Road Clinic:—
'The clinic appears to have given a sense of satisfaction and
moral well-being for those who got assurance of being well and
healthy. A number of patients were referred to their family doctors
for anaemia and others were advised and given general supportive
advice. Many expressed their appreciation of the examination and
re assurance gained.'
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