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37
Bathing Service and Incontinent Laundry
The bath service for elderly people was transferred from Millfields
Road to improved accommodation at Shoreditch Health Centre in November.
Home bathing is also undertaken in cases where a visit to the centre is not
possible.
The laundering of soiled linen continues to be carried out at Millfields
Centre. In 1969 the number of articles laundered totalled 33,460.
CHIROPODY
Chiropody clinics are held in six health service establishments and
statistics of attendances at these clinics are set out below. Most of the
schoolchildren were treated for Verrucae. No expectant mothers were treated.
Number of sessions 4,288
Number of cases aged 0-4 4
5-14 625
15-64 670
65 and over 3,578 4,877
Number of attendances 71 28,208
The location of the clinics and sessions is set out on pages 3 and 4.
A domiciliary chiropody service is provided by the Hackney Association
for the Welfare of Old People who have a large waiting list of persons for
treatment. The Council, therefore, decided towards the end of the year to
extend its own services to include a domiciliary service. This service
commenced on the 29th November and 36 home visits had been made by the end of
the year.
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
Details of the holidays arranged for adults and children who have
suffered from recent acute illness and who needed a short period of rest
without medical or nursing care are set out below:-
1968 1969
Adults 203 230
Children under 5 not attending school 16 21
Schoolchildren 135 145
ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY MACHINES
Early in 1968 the Minister of Health gave local authorities general
approval to make adaptations to homes of individuals who need an artificial
kidney machine. During the year adaptations were carried out in two instances.
HOME HELP SERVICE
This service which is organised from four home help area offices, is in
the main a service for the elderly in the borough who, because of illness,
require domestic assistance. Every attempt is made to provide some assistance
to all eligible cases, and at times, mainly due to shortage of home helps, it
is necessary to spread the available service somewhat thinly.