THERAPY CENTRES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 4

THERAPY CENTRES

Announcement At Social For Conference Delegates The Wellington brunch Of the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society held a social evening at the National Club last night to welcome visiting delegates to the annual conference of the Crippled Children’s Society, which was opened by Lady Galway yesterday morning. The guests were received by the Wellington president, Mrs. Knox Gilmer, and the president of the social committee, Mrs. E. IV. Hunt. They were assisted by the members of the executive committee, Mesdames H. D. Bennett, F. C. Spratt, and Messrs. E. W. Hunt, J. Penman, L. T. Watkins, T. B. Guscott, and S. M. Hobbs. Miss M. Lambie, director of nursing, gave a most interesting address, in which she outlined the Government’s plans for the setting up of occupational therapy centres. Various organizations, including crippled children societies, had discussed occupational therapy, but no trained workers had been employed yet, said Miss Lambic. This year the Department of Health, after conference with orthopaedic surgeons, stressed the necessity of centres- in the four main cities anti at Rotorua and Httnmer, and it was decided to establish a school at Avondale for training occupational therapy workers. Six will be trained at a time. Among the crafts to lx? taught are woodwork, spinning and weaving, cane work, and carpet making. The women's section will also include the making of floor mats, papier inache work, etc. It was obvious that trainees at present could not take the full course, which usually consisted of two to three years’ training, so it had been decided to give a short, complete and concentrated six months' course, and tho workers to be chosen would be people with some previous knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Miss Lambie said.the joint council of the Order of St. John and Die Red Cross Society had made a grant of £7OO to train workers, and provide equipment for the centres: £-100 of this was for bursaries, and the Government had granted two more bursaries in addition.

As each hos]>ital would be providing 100 to 150 beds for soldiers, one worker in eacii centre would be quite inadequate, said Miss Lambie, so the development of Die occupational therapy centres would undoubtedly expand greatly as time went on. The Department of Health was anxious to extend the treatment to civilian patients, and so to Hie crippled children, as it was very necessary that treatment should begin while th? patient was in bed to assist muscular and mental development and to prevent neurosis.

She was asked many questions a' Die end of her address, which aroused con sidera bl e interest.

Songs were given by Mr. T. H. Hindie, who was accompanied by Mis Hindle.

Among those present wore Mr. and Mrs. Barry (Blenheim). Dr. ami Miv. Butchers/ Mr. Grainger (Hawke's Bav), Mrs. A. Gillies, Mrs. Flanders, Babbi 8. Katz, Messrs. T. Campbell F. C. Spratt, 'Malcolm Fraser, Mrs. pit her (Masterton), Mr. and Mrs. Free (Masterton), Airs. Hudson (Nelson), Air. and Airs. C. Aleacheti, and Messrs. Itonans (Timaru), E. land (Wanganui), Black (Palmerston North), Dobbs (Wanganui), Cary (New Plymouth), Ale Kay (Auckland), Polson (Auckland) and Hodder (Alasterton).