View report page

63
(even more in exceptional cases) are guaranteed and should a patient have
to return to hospital for a period of treatment, provided the landlady
concerned is prepared to accommodate the patient on discharge from
hospital and also provided the patient concerned wishes to return to the
same accommodation, the Authority pays a retaining fee of up to 50%
of the rent for the period involved.
Mental Nursing Homes—There is only one registered mental
nursing home within the Borough which accommodates 56 patients. This
was visited at periodic intervals during the year and found to be satisfactory.
Community Care—Mentally Handicapped
The total number of mentally handicapped patients under care in the
community at the end of 1970 was 458 (252 males and 206 females). The
number of cases referred for care during the year was 72 (45 males and
27 females). See Table IV.
Table III gives details of the number of home visits made by the
social workers during the year. These figures are down somewhat from
previous years due to two main factors—(a) difficulty was experienced for
some 5 months in recruiting a suitably qualified social worker and (b)
with the opening of this Authority's own adult training centre, social
workers now regularly see the mentally handicapped placed there.
Close liaison is maintained with maternity and child welfare services
with regard to all patients under five years, who continue to be visited by
the health visitor after initial visits by the Principal Medical Officer and
social worker.
Patients and their families are visited regularly in order that advice
and assistance can be given with any problem that may arise. Social work
support is also given to E.S.N, school leavers, e.g., assisting to find them
suitable employment on leaving school. If they fail, however, to maintain
employment then a period of training is offered at this Authority's Adult
Training Centre in South Harrow.
Parents and relatives continue to find difficulty in obtaining the
services of dentists in the community and practical help is therefore given
by making appointments for patients to see the dental officer at Leavesden
Hospital. 65 such appointments were made in 1970. With such medical
and social work support, it is possible for many mentally handicapped
patients of all ages to live and work in the community.
Eleven patients were admitted to hospital for permanent care during
1970, of this number, 2 were formal admissions.
At the end of the year there were 3 patients awaiting a permanent
hospital vacancy and 2 of these cases were considered to be in urgent need