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The majority of people for whom residential accommodation
is provided are elderly and the main difficulty in their plaqement
is simply pressure of numbers.
With other types of disability the problem is more
profound and is giving rise to much anxiety. In south-east England
the average time a person remains on a waiting list is now two years.
This varies from six months for the blind (although this period is
much increased for people over the age of eighty, the majority of
Kingston cases at the present time) to, in one instance, five years
for a person suffering from multiple sclerosis.
The homes for the aged provided by Kingston, Maiden,and
Surbiton Old People's Welfare Committees or Voluntary Committees,
also make a most valuable contribution to this problem, as do other
facilities provided by them.
Residential Accommodation in other Local Authorities' Homes
140 old people from the borough are accommodated by other
local authorities; many of these were taken over from the Surrey
County Council. Sometimes for family or sentimental reasons a
resident of the borough asks to be accommodated in some other area,
and where possible appropriate arrangements are made. However, most
other authorities are in the same position and this cannot always be
arranged. Twice during the year other local authorities have
assisted with emergency vacancies when it has not been possible to
provide accommodation locally, and thanks are tendered to the London
Borough of Barnet and to the Surrey County Council for their generous
help. 74 residents in the borough Council's Homes are the
responsibility of other local authorities. The Borough Council
maintains one epileptic at Langho Colony, near Blackburn, which is a
Manchester Corporation Home.
All residents outside the borough for which this authority
has accepted financial responsibility are visited once a year by
welfare officers from the authority in which their home is situated,
who submit reports.
Registration and Inspection of Disabled Persons' and
Old Persons' Homes
Under Section 37 of the National Assistance Act, l948, the
Council is responsible for the registration and inspection of
disabled persons' and old persons' homes and there are now four
registered voluntary homes and thirteen registered old persons' homes
within the borough. Included in the thirteen are two homes which
were registered during the year.