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House, Willett House, Isard House and Manor Fields) are purposebuilt
homes. Isard House and Manor Fields are single storey
buildings accommodating 61 and 60 residents respectively. These
two homes provide a number of single rooms and incorporate such
modern features as several small lounges providing a more homely
atmosphere and an electronic emergency call system. While
Isard House was already being furnished when taken over, the
furnishing of Manor Fields was one of the main tasks of the
Welfare Services during the year and provided the opportunity to
include several new features. These included easy chairs of varying
styles and sizes to meet the needs of individual residents. The
Welfare Service Sub-Committee decided to allow persons occupying
single rooms to bring furniture into the home. An evaluation
of these arrangements may result in a further application of this
principle as far as future homes are concerned. There is an overall
shortage of single rooms which, experience shows, are preferred
by the majority of residents. Of the 419 places in the 8 local
authority homes, only 85 (or 20%) are in single rooms. This
imbalance in the kind of places available when related to the
wishes of residents has prompted the Welfare Services Sub-Committee
to provide 80% of the accommodation in single rooms in
the next residential home, which will be sited in St. Pauls Cray.
Loan sanction for this project is anticipated in 1967/68.
6. In "Health & Welfare: The Development of Community
Care" (revision to 1975/76) published in June, 1966, by the Ministry
of Health, the number of places in homes for persons age 65 or
over throughout England and Wales is given as 15.6 per 1,000
population of that age group at 31st March, 1965. The figure
increases to 20.2 on 31st March, 1971, and 21.7 by 31st March,
1976. The comparative figures for the London Borough of Bromley
were 14.3 per 1,000 at 31st March, 1965; 17.8 per 1,000 at 31st
March, 1971; and 19.3 per 1,000 by 31st March, 1976.
Admission and Discharge Rates
7. 312 admissions to the local authority accommodation were
arranged during the year (see Table I). This is relatively high owing
to the occupation of the new home at Isard House during the year
under review. Of this total, 89 (or 28%) were from hospital. This
is rather lower than one expects but is likely to show an increase in
the ensuing year as a result of the closer collaboration which has
developed between the department and the two geriatricians in
the area. Far too many old people are admitted to residential
accommodation because more convenient housing is not available.
It will also be interesting to see whether, in future years, there is a
diminution in the number admitted who were formerly residing
with relatives. This is a trend which might be expected as a result
of improved social work services, although this can be off-set by a
more ready acceptance of residential care.