Evening star., 1946-06-09
Area Plan Urged
To Provide for
Chronica||y III
Conditions in District
And Virginia Branded
As 'DisgroeefuI'
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
The shortage of proper care fol
chronic illness here is so Serious,
SO "heartbreaking," that nothing
less than a major plan for the en-.
tire Metropolitan Area can solve
the problem of Overwhelming pro.
portions" according to another
chapter of the Metropolitan Health
and Hospital Survey made public
last night.
Making this recommendation and
praising the State of Maryland for
planning some facilities for such
care, the report castigated both
the District of Columbia and Vir-
ginia for conditions branded as "un-
believable" and "disgraceful."
The trouble lies not only in lack
OF facilities for the INDECENT, but
also for those who can finance
part care, or even whole care for
themselves, the survey charged.
Planning Body Proposed.
"The situation in regard to care
for the chronically ill is so serious
in Washington" said the survey
that it is imperative to form, as
promptly as possible, a joint plan
ming body on which the Medical So
ciety of the District of Columbia
the Medico = Chirurgical Society OF
the District of Columbia and vi
cinity, the Washington Metropolitan
Health Council Ga division of the
Council of Social Agencies, for which
the survey was made), and the area
hospital administrators, should be
represented"
The budget of this body, recon-
mended the report" should provide
for a full-time director with pro-
fessional and clerical assistants
Other recommendations:
That 200 beds be set aside at
Gallinger Hospital specifically for
the chronically ill, and that these be
supplemented with 125-15O beds at
Freedmen's Hospital, and three or
four units of Is to rs beds in several
OF the larger voluntary hospitals OF
the area.
New Home for Aged Urged.
That "the antiquated and de-
lapldated'' Home for the Aged ano
1nf1rm at Blue Plains be replaced
by decent, modern plant, includ-
ing as a first unit AN adequate in
firmary for the chronic invalids.
That the Instructive Visiting
Nurse Society of the District plan
for substantial expansion of its
home service for the care of the
chronically ill.
That the Health Department ma
terlally expand its housekeeping
aide service to the chronically hi
In their homes.
That institutional needs in the
care of the chronically ill from con-
tiguous Virginia areas be cared for
IN public and private facilities of
the District of Columbia, with pay
ment to public institutions in the
District from Virginia sources.
This last recommendation, said
the report, assumes that the needs
OF Maryland areas will be met
through State plan"
Regarding Maryland, the report
says there is strong element OF
nope that when Maryland com
pletes three proposed State insti.
tutlons for the care of the chron-
1cally ill, the Maryland portion OF
the survey area will be more ade.
quately served for public charges
than at present"
Virginia Outlook Remote.
Declaring that the prospect OF
Statewide facilities in Virginia
was more remote" the survey said
that nothing short of a Statewide
plan will answer the needs of Ar.
lmgton and Fairfax Counties ano
the city of Alexandria, which fall
within this survey area
The term Chronic disease" as
considered in the report, was de.
disease that develop slowly anc
scrlbed as those forms of physical
either become progressively worse
or, If arrested, leave some perma.
nent handicap" tuberculosis ano
mental disease, though of a chronic
nature, the report said, are not
usually included in discussions o1
the chronic-disease problems. Con.
valescent care is separate prob
lem also. the report explained, point.
ing out this problem had been dealt
with in another report.
More than half of our deaths
are from chronic illness, declared
the report, adding: death rates
from heart disease and cancer have
reached levels far above those OF
earlier periods when the proportion
OF persons of advanced age among
the population was smaller" The
number of older persons in America
gradually is increasing, figures
show.
Advances in medicine have helced
materially to keep some chronic
diseases under control, the report
said, diabetes and pernicious anemia
being examples of the trend.
Gallinger Hospital was said to
be Ideal for the establishment OF
division for the chronically ILL.,
About 1880 Beds Available.
There are about 1890 existing
beds in institutions providing ears