View report page

18
have started work outside Shenley Hospital near to another local authority's hostel and it would be clinically
undesirable to insist on a placement elsewhere, entailing a change of job.
Post-Hospital Unit, 73 Wembley Park Drive
This project has now been running for nearly five years and has proved its worth beyond doubt. I
have been approached by other local authorities who wish to establish similar schemes and have been able
to give them the information needed for success. The main point to note is that there will only be a very
small number of ex-hospital patients who can make use of facilities of this kind. This is supported by the fact
that the Hostel is filled to capacity (6 ladies) for short periods only. Most of the time there are five residents
and sometimes only four. This depletion occurs if and when a patient relapses and has to return to Shenley
Hospital for short periods when her room will be kept for her.
Supervision now is minimal and only a regular evening visit once a week by the Senior Medical
Officer and occasional visits by a Mental Health Social Worker who deals chiefly with household matters,
handling the petty cash, etc., take place. His is a dual role in that he also acts as the Mental Welfare Officer
dealing with any possible hospital readmissions. The residents look forward to the regular visits of the Senior
Medical Officer and have tended to accept the staff as friends rather than officials. A clerk from the Finance
Department calls one evening per week to collect the rent.
During the year under review the Hostel has been used on three occasions for emergency admissions
from the community on a temporary basis when patients had suddenly become homeless. It was understood
that the stay could only be temporary (two had young children, cared for elsewhere) and there was no difficulty
in ensuring their departure after a stay of a few weeks. It is felt that the occasional use of the premises in this
way is a great asset to the Mental Health Division.
By now some patients have reached practically the limit of what could legitimately be called a short
term period and the question of discharge becomes imminent. It is very difficult to see some of these ladies
fitting into ordinary lodgings once more, having enjoyed almost as much freedom as in their own homes. They
are likely to resent the usual type of restrictions imposed by landladies. It is to be hoped that the newly created
post of part-time Mental Health Social Worker for boarding out duties will deal with this problem. Otherwise
the provision of sheltered lodgings will have to be considered.
Registered Residential Homes (Ealon House, N.W.6)
This Hostel (registered in terms of Section 37, National Assistance Act, 1948, as applied by Section
19, Mental Health Act, 1959), is run by the Jewish Welfare Board and continues to give excellent service.
Day Centre for the Mentally III, Bel ton Hall, Bertie Road, N.W.10.
The service has benefited from a consistent staff for the latter six months of the year.
99 patients were referred to this Occupational Therapy Centre. Of these only 76 were prepared to
accept occupational therapy. This is an increase of 17 over the previous year. Patients have continued to be
referred from the London teaching hospitals and out-patients clinics of local hospitals as well as Shenley
Hospital.
Number of patients referred 1st January, 1967—31st December, 1967 76
(Male 42, Female 34) (3 re-admissions)
Number of patients receiving treatment 31st December, 1967 39
(Male 16, Female 23)
* Number of patients discharged 76
(Male 39, Female 37)
*Discharged to open employment with the help of the Disablement Rehabilitation Officer,
and despite rising local unemployment figures 33
Transferred to Industrial Therapy Unit 1
Discharged home, rehabilitated to living within community but not able to take up employment,
and to be followed up by Psychiatric Social Worker or Mental Welfare Officer 13
Admitted to Day Centre 3
Admitted to Hospital 18
Left district 4
Transferred to Marlborough Hill Day Centre for Elderly Mentally Infirm (by arrangement
with London Borough of Harrow) 3
Transferred to Welfare Division 1
Distribution of patients in Boroughs
Admitted 1967 :
Bren 56
Ealing 2
Harrow 8
Barnet 4
Camden 4
Hillingdon 1
Tower Hamlets 1
76