Finding
Gardening facilities were also available to patients confined to wheelchairs.
Paper
THE HANDICAPPED FAMILY
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authority also provided day care, training centres and domiciliary care for all age groups of differing types of handicaps. Miss Watkins stressed that activity should not always mean creating craft work. In various departments in the area, the patients made aids for disabled people, which included aids for deaf people. This approach encouraged patients to help others, especially the disabled, and to allow them to give back something to the community by making patients help themselves. Miss Watkins also emphasised the importance of communication between the various disciplines in the social services and the hospitals; they must work together and trust each other, especially in the domiciliary field. More often than not, the necessary finance cannot be found for all the home adaptations, even in areas where there is 90070 financial assistance. After the informative discussion given by Miss Watkins, the members asked her various questions on the problems faced by occupational therapists working in the social services. After a short interval, Mrs. S. M. Burgess, Head Occupational Therapist at the Whitchurch Hospital, discussed the various aspects of the' 'Contribution by Technical Instructors to the Treatment of Mentally III Patients", in the Whitchurch Hospital. The patient is given a programme of varied treatment according to the patient's ability. This ability should not be over or under estimated; the majority of the work is done by the patients. The standard of work is not a test of the technician's ability. Mrs. Burgess introduced various members of her staff who were responsible for different aspects of a patient's programme. Ruth Bryant, the beauty therapist, discussed the need for patients to learn to relax, become interested in themselves once again, and to learn to take care of their appearance, in order to regain their confidence. Ruth Bryant showed her talents as a beauty therapist by demonstrating on a colleague. Mr. Clive Thomas and Mr. Glyn Rogers displayed various samples of the woodwork that had been carried out in the department by the patients. They indicated the varying degrees of work which were adjusted to the individual's needs. Those patients who showed more interest were encouraged to continue with the woodwork either for themselves or to be sold in the hospital shop. Some of these patients had found jobs in industry after discharge from the hospital. Pat Sutcliffe discussed the various aspects of her work in the domestic science department, which included care of clothes, safety in the home, and information on basic nutrients. The patients drew up their own fIlenu which they then prepared and ate. Alan Ware was responsible for organising the patients' games and sports, which included football, cricket, bowls and swimming. Gardening was also available for those patients interested in cultivating their own vegetable plots. Gardening facilities were also available to patients confined to wheelchairs. Mr. Ware stressed the need for an active programme to hold the patient's attention, which could be especially difficult in a psychiatric department. Mrs. C. R. Dobbs and Mrs. Wonnocott were responsible for weaving and sewing in the department, and covered all the subjects related to cloth and thread. Patients were always made conscious of the cost of materials and encouraged high activity as opposed to high standards of work. Various samples of work carried out by the patients were displayed. Mrs. Burgess stressed that the patient does not have to buy the goods produced; unwanted goods were placed in the shop for sale. It was confirmed that the supply of materials was difficult and all off-cuts and donations were welcome. The proceeds from the goods sold in the shop went towards replenishing the department's stocks. The South Glamorgan Health Authority very kindly provided the members with a sherry reception in the South View Restaurant, which was followed by an excellent lunch. Afterwards the members were shown the occupational therapy department, which included the workshops, crafts room, and domestic unit. The members were then led to the Lecture Theatre II in the Welsh National School of Medicine, where Mr. G. M. Owen gave an instructive talk on "The Scope of Medical Physics". The members were informed of the different aspects of research and treatment carried out in the department, Which included radiotherapy, physics, electronics and bio-engineering. The audience were shown slides to illustrate the different machines used in the department, and the graph results of various tests that had been carried out. Mr. Owen went on to describe how the machines gauge the various information received and showed the audience various charts and graphs of how information is gathered and what happens to the patients when the treatment is being carried out. The members were then divided into small groups and each party visited various sections of the Department of Medical Physics and Bio-engineering. The members of staff gave demonstrations of the work being carried out in the department. In the Mechanical Workshop, Mr. R. Hearne demonstrated how limb fitting was carried out, and the various ways of undertaking modifications to suit the individual patient. In the next section, Mr. S. J. Morris showed the members the various techniques employed to calculate blood flow, etc. and explained how the various machines in his department worked, and illustrated the test results with graphs and photographs. In the third room, the demonstrator showed how the machines measured the rate of absorption of radiation, and assessed the dynamics of the arteries. This section was divided into two small sub-sections where in one sub-department Mr. W. D. Evans indicated how sample counting was carried out; while in the second sub-department, Mr. W. Thomson illustrated how the whole body was assessed. The members were informed of the various techniques used in diagnosing and treating tumours.
Authors
J. Ibbotson
Journal
The Lancet