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Experimental Day Centre for the Mentally Infirm Elderly.
Park House Hostel, East Finchley, N.2.
The Day Centre was open on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year and,
from November, additionally on Wednesday of each week. At the 102 sessions of the
centre during 1968 the average attendance was 9 persons and at each session at
least one Mental Welfare Officer was present.
During next year it is hoped to extend the Centre to four days per week which will
be practically the limit for this experimental project.
Mention should be made of the fact that a paper on the work done at the Centre
was presented by the Principal Medical Officer (Mental Health) and one of the
Senior Mental Welfare Officers at the 7th International Congress on Mental Health
in London in August.
Park House Hostel
This 30 place hostel is primarily intended for 15 persons of each sex on a
short-stay basis on discharge from psychiatric hospital although, in a few instances,
admissions have been direct from the community where it is considered that a
short-term admission will prevent breakdown and/or possible admission to hospital.
During the latter part of 1968 an increased amount of Social Work support was
given with the introduction of a team approach to the running of the Hostel.
Therapeutic Social Clubs
The three Clubs: Park House, The Links and York Park continued to function
with varying degrees of success. However, changes in hospital catchment areas
and housing developments in some parts of the Borough makes its necessary
for the organisation of the social clubs to be reviewed and it is proposed to do
this during the coming year.
Napsbury Hospital
Mental Welfare Officers are authorised by the Hertfordshire County Council to act
with regard to Borough residents who are, for the time being, in psychiatric hospitals
in that County; 40 such cases were dealt with during the year.
Mental Welfare Officers continue to attend Ward Meetings, Case Conferences etc.,
in the Hospital to develop close co-operation between hospital and Community Care
Services. The question of notification of discharges from the Hospital to the Local
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