[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Northampton County Borough.

Welfare (continued) These eight homes, with accommodation for 168 persons, are all registered under Section 37 of the National Assistance Act, 1948. Two other homes are exempt from registration (Statutory Instrument 1949, No. 1622), viz :— HOME Bethany Homestead, Kingsley Road ACCOMMODATION In cottages: 40 persons In nursing home* and rest rooms: 46 persons Methodist Homestead, Homestead \yay ... In cottages: 20 persons *Nursing home exempt from registration under Section 192 of the Public Health Act, 1936 (See page 25). There is thus residential accommodation in these two homesteads for 106 persons. Accommodation for short periods is also available at St. John s Hospital, Weston Favell, Northampton. Total Accommodation available in Northampton (1) Controlled by the Local Authority (2) Provided (not controlled by the Local Authority) (3) Other Homes for Disabled and Old Persons 1OTAL ... ••• ••• 172 33 258* 463 *Excludes 16 already counted in (2). Residential accommodation for old people becomes involved with hospital accommodation sooner or later by reason of increase in age and infirmity. In many cases the main factor is suitability of staff. Residen¬ tial accommodation is not planned to provide nursing and consequently persons suffering from chronic and recurrent illness must be sent to hospital. Some difficulty is being experienced with old people suffering from incontinence because a considerable amount of nursing care is required and old persons’ homes are not planned for this. Temporary Accommodation. The following temporary accom¬ modation is provided under Section 21 (i) (b) of the National Assistance Act, 1948:— (a) Whiston Road Home. This Home provides temporary accommoda¬ tion for mothers and children. Every effort is made to rehabilitate these families and all the domestic work, cooking, laundry, etc., is done by the mothers under the supervision of a Superintendent and Assistant Super¬ intendent. It is considered that a certain amount of success is achieved in this way and is of great value when famiies are discharged. On 31st December, 1960, there were 5 mothers and 8 children in