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20.3 As in previous years, the health education programme of film shows and talks
at clubs for old people has been well supported.
20.4 The response from hospitals in the area to the geriatric visiting service has
been encouraging. Consultants from the St. Pancras Wing of University College Hospital
and from the Highgate Wing of the Whittington Hospital have shown their interest in
linking up with the geriatric visitors, particularly when a patient's stay in hospital
nears completion and his future care is under discussion. Cften Geriatric Case Conferences
have been organized for this purpose.
20.5 General Practitioners also find that the geriatric visitor is a useful link with
the patient and with other services. Some have found it helpful to start a geriatric
session for their own elderly patients with the assistance of a geriatric visitor. It is
hoped that further joint ventures of a similar nature may be developed.
MEALS FOR OLD PEOPLE
SCOPE OF SERVICE
21.1.1 The Department's meals service covers the supply of
(a) hot mid-day meals to housebound old people where relatives, a home help
or a good neighbour is not available to prepare and cook food ('meals-onwheels');
and
(b) invalid meals for housebound people, irrespective of age, who require
special diets.

METHOD OF PROVISION
21.2.1 The period 1967/68 saw a complete change in the basis of the provision of the
meals. These had hitherto been obtained from three commercial firms, but in August,
1967 the Council's central kitchens were able to take over the meals preparation from
one of these firms, and from May, 1968, all meals were supplied by the Council's
catering service.
21.2.2 Alongside this change in supply arrangements came changes in methods of
distribution. At the beginning of 1967, assistance in distribution was being continued
by the British Red Cross Society and the Camden Old People's Welfare Association in
the northern part of the Borough and by the Womens' Royal Voluntary Service in the
southern part. In August, 1967, the latter body, because of difficulties experienced in
obtaining volunteers, asked the Council to take over the distribution of meals in the
southern area. For similar reasons, the Camden Old People's Welfare Association asked
the Council to take over its delivery area early in 1968 and, following the complete
centralisation of the supply arrangements, the British Red Cross Socie ty suggested
that it might be advantageous for the whole of the meals service to be co-ordinated under
one control, as a result of which its area of delivery was also taken over by the Council
in May of that year.
21.2.3 With the unification of the supply and distribution of meals, it was possible to
plan a more efficient service in that each van could carry both invalid and ordinary
meals. This allowed routes to be replanned to give more economic rounds, resulting
among other things in meals being hotter when delivered.
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