Evening star., 1941-10-19
Abandonment
OF Blue Plains
Home Urged
Fowler Report Backs
Modern Methods to
Core for Aged
By DON S. WARREN.

DIV DUN .. w AMIN
The whole question of how the
District should care for its helpless
wards now housed at the Home for
Aged and Infirm at the Oft
denounced institution at Blue Plains
has been raised by District Budget
Director Walter L. Fowler in a
report suggesting it might be better
to abandon the home and adopt
more modern methods.
To some degree, at least, Mr..
Fowler's views are supported in a
report to the Commissioners from
District Welfare Director Conrad
Van Hyning, who said perhaps $50
OF the approximately 600 present
of the institution are
in need of medical care,
and should be shifted from the
home; that others might better be
placed in private homes.
The suggested modern methods"
would include placement Of the
chronically-ill in a hospital home.
shlftlng of others to District-super-
vised foster" homes, and placing
the remainder in their own domiciles
under financing through the Fed
orally sponsored old age program.
Million Fund to Be Urged.
However, from the Capitol an
announcement came last night that
Renah F. Camalier, special counsel
Tor the Senate District Committee,
would appear soon before the De-
nclency Subcommittee of the Sen.
ate Appropriation Committee TO
urge a s1,000000 fund for a new
home for aged institution.
Mr.. Camalier said decision
would be made later by the Senate
District Committee as to any pos
sible change in the program to re-
place the obviously inadequate facil-
tiles at Blue Plains. If some new
program is adopted, he said. no
time or effort will be wasted in
the move of the Senate committee
in support of an appropriation for
development of new institution.
l shall press for the proposed
appropriation without delay" he
added. and if the Commissioners
finally decide on a new course they
could always turn the money back
to the United States Treasury"
The best guess yesterday was
that some combination Of the op-
posing ideas might be sponsored.
Agree on General Idea.
During recent informal discus
sionS, it developed yesterday, Dis
trict Budget Director Fowler and
Welfare Director Van Hyning havs
agreed generally that modern So
cial security ideas call for eventual
elimination of a 'poorhouse" for
the aged needy, regardless OF
whether a million dollar new home
was provided. and substitution of
adequate medical care for the aged
needy requiring disqualification and
provision for private home care Of
the others.
More specifically. it is suggested
by Mr. Fowler and Mr.. Van Hyning,
that many of the present occupants
of the Home for the Aged properly
should be placed in hospital for
chronic ailments. Such an institu.
ton perhaps would be built as an
adjunct to Gallinger Hospital. and
others would be happier and better
treated, from the social point Of
view, in properly supervised private
homes.
Discussion of these viewpoints
came to light as Commissioner Guy
Mason, who supervises the Districts
welfare system. received reports
from Mr.. Fowler and Mr. Van
Hyning and sent to Chairman Nc
Carran of the Senate District Com
mittee report on Improvements
at the existing Blue Plains institu-
ton in reply to the Senator'S de-
mands after his agents recently in
Spected the home
Commissioner Mason said he had
an open mind for the moment as
to the new suggestions on funda-
mental policy, but declared the
question of cost should not be con-
sidered the controlling factor.
Admittedly, some District officials
were shocked" recently when it was
reported proposed new home for
aged would cost ST 100000 but Mr..
Fowler and Mr.. Van Hyning argued
that the most modern thought for
care of the aged needy was not
even in a million dollar palace"
Suggestions Studied.
The Commissioners, it is recalled,
now are considering suggestions
from District officials that a new
Home for the Aged might be erected
either on the spacious grounds of
the tuberculosis Sanatoria at Glenn
Dale, Md, or near the site of the
Blue Plains institution. For several
reasons some officials favor the
Glenn Dale site. but if Mr.. Fowler's
or Mr.. Van Hyning's views are
adopted it might be that an alterna-
tive would be erection of home for
chronic aged patients at Gallinger
Hospital.
In his discussion of the theories
and possibilities, District Budget Di-
rector Fowler said:
L douot the wisdom OF planning
new home along the lines sug-
gested (the suggested sl,000,0 900
home on new site).
1T is my opinion that the ulti-
mate aim should be abandonment OF
the institution-through placement.
A mixed group of the aged, such as
we saw at the present institution,
never can be happily situated even
in the most modern of buildings.
Marble halls will not make home
and no matter what we spend such
an institution always will be poor
house"
Discussing possibilities that some
of the occupants of the present
home might be placed in hospitaliza-
tion or in private homes, Mr.. Fowler
said he believed all occupants of the
present home could be provided
proper treatment elsewhere.
In conclusion Mr.. Fowler urged
that the city heads arrange an
early conference with the Board Of