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16. The Ministry of Health Report for 1966 draws attention to the
problem of the staffing of residential homes, statistics concerning
which were collected for the first time in 1966. The statistics indicate
that in order to staff the Homes, local authorities have had to
employ a high percentage of part-time staff—almost one-third of
all staff employed are part-time employees. In the eight residential
Homes for the elderly in Bromley 36% are part-time staff.
17. The Ministry Report also indicates the national shortage of
assistant matrons and wardens—there being no fewer than 333
vacancies for such staff throughout the country. The Williams
Report on the Staffing of Residential Homes was not published
until after the end of the year under review but one must hope for
tangible results from the deliberations of this committee. The
future of residential care depends on a solution to the staffing
problem.
18. Meetings of staff of residential homes and the administrative
staff have been held on a regular basis throughout the year. The
meetings have taken place at the homes and very valuable and
interesting discussions on many topics have been held. Speakers
from outside agencies have attended some of these meetings and
interest in the problems associated with advancing years has been
stimulated. This is particularly so in respect of the deaf and hardof-hearing,
occasioned by talks from the Deaf Welfare Officer of
the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the Officer in Charge
of Regional Hearing Aid Centre.
Admissions and Discharges
19. There were 174 new admissions to homes for permanent care
during the year and 35 admissions by transfer from other homes.
Of the latter, the majority were the result of the decision to close
down the accommodation available to the local authority at
Orpington Hospital. In the few remaining instances, a transfer was
arranged because ground floor accommodation was essential or to
meet the wishes of individual residents who preferred to be in a
home in another area of the Borough. The reduction of new
admissions from 312 in 1965/66 to 174 in 1966/67 was accounted
for in the occupancy of two new homes in the first year.
20. In 1966/67, 64 of the new admissions on a permanent basis were
from hospital—36.8% and an increase of 8.8% over the previous
year. People admitted to residential homes from hospital are
invariably so frail as to require ground floor accommodation and,
because of this, vacancies in the adapted homes which do not have
lifts cannot be used. Residents transferred from hospitals, therefore,
accounted for a much higher proportion of the vacancies which
arose in homes where accommodation was available on the ground
floor or where other floors were served by lifts.