Evening star., 1940-03-08
|Conyalescinq
lndigent Home
Is Proposed
Allen Asks RuhIund
To Submit Figures
On Size and Cost

SuAS ~VSA
Construction of an INDECENT con-
valescent home in the vicinity Of
Gallinger Hospital appeared today
as q possible outgrowth of efforts
now being made by municipal ofn-
cials to alleviate conditions at the
Districts Home for the Aged and
Infirm.
Commissioner George E. Allen,
who proposed the project during
conferences with health and well
fare ofacials yesterday, has re-
quested Health Ofhcer George c.
Rutland to prepare and submit esti-
mates on the cost and size of a con-
valescent home large enough to care
for INDECENT convalescents from
other District institutions as well
as the Home for the Aged at Blue
Plains.
Commissioner Allen also disclosed
he is considering asking for a w.
P. A. project to provide additional
nurses and attendants-'possibly Is
or 20"-for service at the Blue Plains
institution. Increases in the homes
nursing and attendant stah were
recommended in the report SUBJ
mitted two days ago by Gallinger
physicians who conducted a medical
examination of the Blue Plains in
mates.
RnvnnvnI DIo~~ D,vvr,,>l
As a result of yesterdays con-
ferences, Welfare Director Robert E.
Bondy, DR.. Rutland and other
health officials today were moving
ahead with plans to transfer to
other institutions about half OF the
inmates which the physician-in-
vestigators recommended for re-
moval from the Home for the Aged
Fourteen cases in need of medical
attention will be sent to Gallinger
Hospital within the next few days
for complete medical study, and 16
others, listed as chronic neurolog-
ical disease cases, will be transferred
to the municipal hospital for study
within the next month, Mr.. Bondy
said.
As soon as possible, the 10 phychia-
trio cases will be sent to the psyche
pathic ward at Gallinger for OBJ
servation, and the Commission on
Mental Health will be called upon
to determine whether any Of these
should be sent to st. Elizabeth's
Hospital.
Although the physicians report
recommended transfer of eight epi-
leptic cases to more suitable institu-
tions, Mr.. Bondy declared they
would have to remain at Blue Plains
because there is no place to send
them. However, he pointed out that
q new infirmary Is nearing compile
ton at Blue Plains and that they
would be able to segregate these
cases there when the building Is
finished.
Feeble Minded Cases Studied.
What will be done with the 81
feeble-minded cases has not been
determined. A list is being pre-
pared showing the ages of these
inmates to determine whether any
of them, by previous commitment,
are eligible to be transferred to the
Districts Training School for the
Feeble Minded at Laurel, Md.
Under the law, Mr.. Bondy said,
any person over As years Of age who
has never been committed to that
institution can't be sent there. He
pointed out, too, that the Laurel
institution already is overcrowded.
but added that arrangements would
be made somehow to handle addi-
tional cases should any of the Blue
Plains feeble-minded cases be found
eligible to be transferred.
OF the l6 cases of young and
middle-aged indigents in need of
rehabilitation, one-a 24-year-old
girl suffering from paralysis of the
legs-will be sent to Gallinger i'm
mediately. For the others, efforts
are to be made to provide orthopedic
care and determine what can be
worked out in each individual case.
Some Don't Belong There"
Some of these" said Mr.. Bondy,
"are indigents who now need only
some help in finding jobs. They
don't belong in the Home for the
Aged, but they were sent there be-,
cause there was no other place
for them
The welfare director said he plans
to present to Commissioner Allen
within week or 10 days estimates
to provide for additional facilities
and staff workers at Blue Plains.
The estimates will include provi-
sions for necessary new buildings,
equipment and personnel.
Participating in yesterdays con-
ferenees were DR.. Edgar A. Bocock,
superintendent of Gallinger Hospi-
tai; DR.. Albert S. Sullivan, chief
medical officer of Gallinger and
one of the three physicians who con-
Quoted the Blue Plains medical ex-
animation, and DR.. James Lewald,
superintendent of the Training
Cchon1 for tho Eeeh1n.kFipdod