Evening star., 1940-02-11

VI AZ. AyIluc "A. EullcI LON, ScnlOI
surgeon of the United States Public
Health Service.
DR.. Fullerton's report was made
public last night by Representative
D'Alesandro, Democrat, Of Mary
land, temporary chairman of the
Public Health Subcommittee of the
House District Committee, which is
charged with investigating condi-
tions at the home, as we'll as other
public welfare institutions under su-
pervision Of the Board of Public
Welfare.
Recently DR.. Fullerton visited the
Home for the Aged accompanied
by Mr.. D'Alesandro. DR.. Fullerton
testified briefly about conditions he
observed on Friday, after Mrs
Roosevelt had finished describing to
the subcommittee her own observa-
tions.
Here. is the picture of conditions
at the institution as outlined In his
report to the subcommittee:
Dear Mr.. D'Alesandro (through
the Surgeon General: In compli-
ance to your instructions the writer
visited the Home for Aged and In
firm, Blue Plains, D. c., on the
afternoon of Thursday, February 8,
1910. The lack of time did not per-
NIT careful study and the following
observations are based on that one
visit. Some of the statements here
in are, therefore, not personal OBJ
servations.
Not Criticism Of Staff.
Il wish to state now that what
follows is in no wise a criticism of
Supt. Frank B. Haskell or his staff
talked with some of the Office staff
the nurse, Elizabeth Mccormick;
the baker, R. H. Little: the construc-
ton foreman, Francis Kuster; the
chief engineer. c. H. Foreche: the
steward, George Beck: Orderly w.
J. Monahan, and others and they
are all persons of seeming ability
and reliability. No persons can ef-
flciently conduct the care division
OF this institution with an made
quate number of workers and with
inadequate support of funds. These
TOO persons, mostly diseased in body
and diseased in mind, in wheel
chairs and on crutches, blind, Grip
pied and aged, cannot be expected
to wait upon themselves and per-
form chores for others. Employees
to care for them must be provided
Location: At the junction of
Oxon Creek and the Potomac. Large
acreage. Reached by automobile
over paved roads.
Buildings: Excepting admins
tration building of brick with lath
and plaster interiors, one and two
story constructions. Recreation
rooms have back walls brick and
frame fronts. Stairs are cement
with brick walls, asbestos tile roof
ing and wooden floors.
Physical condition of buildings:
Show throughout the evidence of
economy in construction.
No Fire Alarms Inside.
"Fire protection: Inspected by
District Fire Department weekly.
No alarms throughout buildings.
There are two employees on duty
inside between IL p. m. and 4 am,
three In the power house; outside
watchman, and gate watchman. Not
equipped with sprinklers. Water
city pressure; S-inch mains with
nine fire plugs outside. Occasional
fire extinguishers indoors. Fire es-
cape on each building, 4-inch treads.
First noor wards have no oaek
doors. sS'v', ''"~"-,~. -@'l
Telephone service: There is one
official telephone in the Office and
one pay phone. Four telephones are
located in adjacent private quarters.
Power plants: Equipment consists
OF three large high-pressure boilers.
two steam-driven generators for di-
rect current and an ice-making
pump. The personnel are licensed.
1t is reported that the plant was
inspected by District boiler inspect
ors one month ago. This power
plant supplies one-third of its out
put electric power, light, heat and
hot water) to the adjacent chill
dren's school. The total operating
cost for the year of this plant was
$29, ,543.21, and the school reim-
bursed $4,000 for services received.
Kitchen Equipment Limited.
Kitchen: The equipment consists
OF large range, four steam cookers.
three coffee and tea kettles, one veg
etable steamer, good work counter,
hot washing sinks and drainboards,
all in apparently fair condition. The
dish washing machine is of 9 cubic
feet capacity, much too small for
their requirements. An assistant
cook reported there was vital need
for more tools in the kitchen.
Kitchen refuse is fed to farm hogs.
1t is collected in a cement screened
shed and from there two deliveries
are made each day. although refuse
stands overnight.
Quality and sufficiency of food:
The writer inspected two meals
which were adequate in quantity
and of fair quality. No butter was
seen and eggs were reported to be
served very infrequently. The bak-
cry equipment was fair and the out
put excellent. Inmates are detailed
to work in the dining room and in
the kitchen, procedure which
should not be tolerated in any in
stitution except upon voluntary
basis and under the supervision of
responsible paid employe. The
cleanliness of the kitchen and din
ing room is similar to any institu-
ton without women in charge and
not under the care of a graduate
dietitian. The dry grocery rooms
and the refrigerator rooms were un-
tidy and unsightly.
Dining rooms: The main dining
room for inmates, I believe, seats
563 persons, so all the ambulant in
mates can eat at one time. Three
separate smaller dining rooms are
maintained for divisions of the staff.
The dishes are thick crockery, the
table utensils are plated, tablecloths
YNrauilnI