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Council can make contributions to voluntary bodies in respect of the
provision of recreation or meals for old people.
During the year grants were made as follows:-
(a) The Kensington Communal Kitchens Service
were granted £500 as a contribution towards
the cost of operating a Meals-on-Wheels
service in co-operation with the Kensington
Women's Voluntary Services.
(b) Latymer Road Mission Old People's Luncheon
Club were granted £50 towards their general
expenses in providing meals, including
replacement of equipment.
Holidays
The Council have a scheme under which the Family Welfare
Association co-operate in arranging holidays for old people. An
application for a holiday is made to the Medical Officer of Health,
who investigates the applicant's circumstances, and an assessment
is made in accordance with an approved scale of the contribution
towards the expenses which the old person is required to make. When
the application is approved it is referred to the Family Welfare
Association, who make all the arrangements for a holiday. The
Association, apply to the Council for reimbursement of expenses after
deducting the contribution from the old person.
Block bookings of ground and first floor rooms for June were
made at two holiday homes, Lennox House, Southsea, and St. Mary's
Home, Dover. Private coaches were hired to take the old people to
and from these homes, and convenient assembly points in the borough
arranged. The Family Welfare Association undertook the work,
including the bookings at the holiday homes and the hire of the
coaches, and the Council paid towards their administrative expenses
the sum of five shillings for each person (or man and wife) for whom
a holiday was arranged.
The following is a summary of work carried out in 1956:-
Total applications received 122
Unsuitable on medical grounds 8
Consideration deferred 15
Referred to other organisations 34
Number approved 88
Cancellations after approval 12
Number sent on holiday 76
Number sent to Lennox House, Southsea 60
Number sent to St. Mary's Home, Dover 16
Contributions by applicants £74. 17s. 6d.
Net cost of holidays to the Council £590. 12s. 6d.
Booking fees paid by Council to Family
Welfare Association £15. 15s. 0d.
Domiciliary Cleansing
Arrangements have been made whereby old people's living
accommodation and household articles are cleansed and, if necessary,
disinfested. The Regional Hospital Boards, the London County Council
and the Kensington Council of Social Service co-operate by providing
temporary accommodation, where necessary, while the old people's
belongings are being dealt with at the disinfecting station. Sixteen
old people were dealt with in 1956.