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28
The Local Authority is providing housing accommodation, in
ground-floor flats, for thirty old age pensioners, under their
housing allocation system. Applicants are restricted to people
who have remained resident in Bromley since September, 1939.
Group 2.
There are many organisations, both voluntary and statutory,
to assist the elderly people in the second group-the domestic
help service provided by the Kent County Council under the
National Health Service Act, and the meals on wheels service
provided by the Women's Voluntary Services, being the two in
greatest demand.
The domestic help service helps to lighten the burden of
housework and has been a great boon to many old peoplenearly
a hundred households consisting of one or more old people
were assisted during the year-but it is a "housework" service
and so has to be restricted within permissible bounds of essential
work, which, in most cases where old people are living in one or
two rooms, can be covered in a few hours each week. This,
necessarily, leaves days when they must carry on themselves
and it is of great help to them when meals are delivered by the
W.V.S. During 1950 approximately seventy meals were cooked
each week at the Municipal Offices Canteen and delivered by the
Women's Voluntary Services, the majority of them to old people.
This service is increasing.
Group 3.
What is being done for those in the second group can equally
well apply to the third group with the addition of the services
of the home nurse from time to time, and the provision of residential
accommodation. Unfortunately there are not enough
home nurses in the area to cover the full need. The plight of
the aged sick person who is compelled to remain at home, even
though there may be adequate grounds for removal to hospital,
is a sad one.
The provision of residential homes has been the responsibility
of the County Council since 1948. The provision of sixty-six
"Part III" beds at Orpington Hospital is inadequate to meet the
requirements of North West Kent. The County Council,
however, are actively proceeding with accommodation at
"Kokine" in Orpington (approximately thirty-five beds), and
"Elmbank" in Bromley (approximately thirty-five beds), but
it may be some time before these homes are in operation.