View report page

123
percentage of deaths (23%) were included in the total of 53
discharges and 3 residents were transferred to local authority homes
as needing facilities which the voluntary agency could not provide.
32. Conclusions from a relatively small sample comparison are
difficult. Do the voluntary homes admit people earlier than the
local authority? Are the new residents less frail? Does the care
provided at an earlier stage in their lives result in a longer expectancy
of life as evidenced by the higher average age on discharge?
If so. would local authorities achieve similar results if more residential
places were available to meet the urgent demands as shown
by lengthy waiting lists? A number of elderly people, having
reached a decision to enter a local authority home, may be kept
waiting so long that their situation deteriorates and rehabilitation
becomes more difficult.
33. No facilities have been provided by voluntary agencies on
behalf of the local authority for short term care. Nor have voluntary
homes in the Borough yet experimented with day care
arrangements. The department would be pleased to co-operate
with the introduction of limited day care schemes where a voluntary
agency in the area considers this feasible.
34. The local authority made arrangements with voluntary homes
providing special facilities for the disabled for 9 new admissions.
The average age was 39 years. The length of stay of the total of
28 physically handicapped accommodated at the 31st March, 1967,
varied between under 1 year and over 10 years, as would be
expected.
35. Many of the physically handicapped referred to in paragraph
33 were accommodated some distance from their home area and
their relatives. It was not found possible, however, to discover
how many would prefer to be in their home area if suitable facilities
were available. This question, together with that of ascertaining
the need for residential accommodation for the physically handicapped
in their own homes, has yet to be investigated fully.
Charges for Accommodation
36. The Ministry of Social Security Act, 1966, changed the basis
on which local authorities assessed ability to pay the standard
charge for residential accommodation. A simpler and in some
respects a more generous basis for calculating resources came into
operation on the 28th November, 1966.
37. The standard maintenance charge in the local authority homes
of £9 3s. 2d. which applied on the 1st April, 1966, was increased
to £10 0s. 1d. on the 6th February, 1967. At the 31st March, 1967,
34 residents were meeting the full charge whereas 47 residents were
doing so at the 31st March, 1966. It was estimated that the basis
for calculating resources introduced by the Ministry of Social
Security Act, 1966, would involve Bromley in a loss of income in