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Recuperative
holidays
and
long-term
residential
care
Recuperative holidays of an average duration of 3 weeks 4 days were provided
for 93 persons suffering or recovering from psychiatric illness, compared with the
provision of holidays for 59 such persons during 1950. Most of the holidays were
provided in homes sponsored or maintained by the Mental After Care Association
but in 35 cases this special accommodation was not needed and the holidays were
provided in other selected holiday homes. The average weekly cost of maintenance
was approximately £3 a head.
During the year the number of persons placed in Mental After Care Association
homes for long term care had risen from 55 to 65. Most of these are elderly persons
needing residential care on account of comparatively mild psychiatric illness and not
requiring skilled nursing attention or medical treatment.
The weekly charge made by the Mental After Care Association in respect of all
persons maintained in the Association's homes has remained at 54s. 10d. a head
throughout the year. Visits have been made by a psychiatric social worker employed
by the Council to all the homes sponsored and maintained by the Mental After Care
Association and in addition several of the homes have been visited by the Council's
Medical Adviser on mental health. Conditions generally were found to be satisfactory
and the patients well-cared for and happy.
After
care
The scheme for the domiciliary visitation of mentally sick persons resident in
London requiring help and advice continued to be carried out on the Council's behalf,
by social workers of the Mental After Care Association and the National Association
for Mental Health and a grant of 90 per cent. of the cost of the service was paid to
each Association. 230 new cases were visited during the year making a total of 957
persons visited since the scheme began in May, 1949.
During the year the scheme made by the Charity Commissioners for the regulation
of Queen Adelaide's Fund, a charity administered in two branches, one for
London and one for Middlesex, for the benefit of certain persons who have suffered
from mental illness, was revised. The Hospital Management Committees responsible
for the administration of mental hospitals in the four Metropolitan Hospital Regions
have nominated persons to disburse the income of the fund (on the imprest system)
on behalf of the Trustees, two of whom are appointed by the Council. As the
National Association for Mental Health and the Mental After Care Association at
present carry out the Council's after care scheme, they have been asked to refer