The Portland daily press., 1898-10-26
HOME FOR AGED WOMEN.
Forty-fourth Annual Report of tho Board
of Managers.

/ OF MaudSOhss
The annual meeting of the subscribers
of the Home for Aged Women was held
yesterday afternoon.
The president, Mrs. Augusta M. Hunt,
presented the 44th annual report in behalf
OF the managers, as follows:
In looking over the record of the HON
! for the past twelve months. In many re-
spects it would seem as If we had simply
gone around q CIRCLE. and that the last
annual report could we'll be substituted
for new one.
Our matron. Miss Way, continues to
fill her position of trust with painstaking
fidelity, and cooperates with the board
of managers in studying the best methods
to make our institution, in every sense
of the word, a home.
There has not been IAN unusual amour
OF sickness and the "silent messenger"
has called but one member of our family
to her eternal home.
The refinement of her character. the
sweetness and cheerfuluess of her DISPOSE
ton have left pleasant memory and her
influence will long be felt in the home.
Kind friends have, as usual, called
forth our gratitude by their gifts OF
books, newspapers, fruit, flowers, ice,
tickets for excursions, etc., etc. lWh1le
physicians and clergymen have as IN for
mer years, generously responded to the
many calls upon their busy lives.
| Two great needs of our association.have.
however, been impressed upon us with
Unusual force during the past ear one
is that of fund which we might use to
pay the board Of some OF the many appi-
oants for admission to the home who are
now on the waiting list Ii every room
were vacated tomorrow morning, by nigh
L 4 II lo1 frxyion frO1
this list of applicants. 10 those who
are waiting for admission, the Constant
response of no room means many anxious
! months, and not unfrequently longer de-
pendenoe upon the charity OF friends.
1t would be great source of satisfac.
ton and relief If some of our generous
friends would make it possible, by their
gifts, for us to assist in boarding some of
these applicants outside of the home, but
where they might have the personal sup
ervision OF the managers
| Sickness of peculiar nature has made
the managers realize the graat advantage
to the health and oomfor5 OF the Home,
would admit Of the building of a hospital
ward In acute Illness, the quiet restful-
ness Of such ward would he greatly APP
preciated, while in cases Of paralysis and
| senile degeneraoy of the brain, the pa
tents could receive better care and atten-
tion than now Is possible. There would
be nothing to suggest sickness in the
main house, and it's usual cheerful and
comfort table character could be preserved.
| The rooms vacated by the invalid would
be available for new inmates.
| But the special sickness referred to is of
| q more serious nature. For the second
/ time in the history of the association, we
| have had to meet case Of violent insan-
| ity, and the condition of this patient pro-
duoed such sense of discomfort and In
security throughout the house, as to seri-
ously affect the health of the other n en-
bers of the family.
While the managers fully realized that
a serious brain trouble ought to be treated
| by specialist, and that the state insane
asylum was undoubtedly the place where
our patient would receive the most judo.
| ious care we felt a great reluctance to ask
| the city for the commitment papers to
the asylum until everything possible had
| been done for her in the home.
| II we could have isolated ouI patient
temporarily in hospital ward, and
placed her, under the care of trained
nurse, we would have been spared much
anxiety, expense and serious annoyance
AS we did not have such place, our
! patient with that cunning incident to
| insanity would sometimes elude the
vigilance of nurses and attendants and
alarm not only the family, but the neigh.
| bors on the street Lack OF funds has
| made definite plans for q hospital annex
unwarranted; but our thought has been,
that we might add wing to our present
building which would give us few
rooms at first. Those should be furnished
with every convenience and appliance
which could add to the comfort of the
patients and be convenient to the main
house, SO that the present kitchen could
furnish the necessary food.
This plan would not involve any mattel
ial increase in the annual expenses of the
home, and the family nurse now en-
ployed, could have her room in the hos
pital
The advantages of such ward in the
care and comfort of the sick must be
apparent. In gmany large cities one fire.
Quently notices an inscription on a char1t.
able building or hospital which indicates
that the building was erected as me-
| mortal to some person identified with the
city, or with that particular institution.
A very fitting opportunity is now open
| to perpetuate the name or some phllan-
! thropio man or woman of Portland ines.
| tablishing hospital annex to the HON 9
for Aged Women.
The following report was given by the
treasurer, Miss Cornelia M. Dow:
RECEIPTS.
Balance October &c, 1897, 81, 39S. IL
Annual su descriptions, $3.50
| Interest of general fund, 4,looo 90
Interest of Joseph Noble me-
mortal fund, 90. oU
! Requests and donations, 1Oo.ov
All other sources. 273 IS
| s.. 23S.7S
/ DISBURSEMENT rs.
Provisions, water, fuel and ,.