TREATMENT OF INMATES

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23177, 14 November 1940, Page 5

TREATMENT OF INMATES

HOLIDAY HOME AT NEW BRIGHTON FACILITIES FOR MENTAL PATIENTS No justification for the criticism by Mr A. J. Hearn, president of the Mental Welfare Society, of the conditions in which inmates of the Templeton menial farm were staying at the Presbyterian Holiday Home at New Brighton was found by Nurse A. B. Gram,, who was asked to investigate by the New Brighton branch of the Labour Party. "Home Very Suitable” As a general-trained and maternity nurse, Nurse Grant considered the home to be very suitable as a holiday place for the farm inmates, it being used for part of the year for school children, said Mr Grant, her husband and a member of the branch. lasi night. Permission to investigate the conditions was given by Mrs Tomlinson, the official visitor of mental hospitals, who also asked for a report. At Mrs Tomlinson’s request, following Mr Hearn’s complaints, Nurse Grant tofek sweets, cigarettes, and cakes to the home on Saturday. She found the place very clean and the food good, (here being plenty of meat, eggs, butter, and cake. The patients, also had tobacco and cigarettes. The visitor spoke to several of the patients who expressed themselves as exceedingly well satisfied, their only regret being that their holiday could not last longei. No partially paralysed patients were seen by the visitor, Mr Grant said. All the patients were allowed out for walks and to go on the beach, and the home was equipped with a tabic and leather-covered chairs. The beds she inspected wore reported as looking very comfortable, while tne patients reported that they were excellent. One of the patients was a pastrycook, ami he produced a big tin of scones and pikelets which he had baked on Saturday morning. , The holiday scheme at New Brighton was first tried out l.ast year, Mr Grant said, and the Director-General of Mental Hospitals had been delighted with the idea. The holiday was not an annual one, as Mr Hearn had suggested. Mr Grant reported that Mrs Tomlinson had been away from Christchurch but she had informed Nurse Grant that she would visit the home. Letter of Complaint Mr Hearn’s letter, which was received at the meeting of the New Brighton Borough Council on Monday, stated:—"There are no chairs in the bach and patients, partially paralysed. are compelled to sit upon cold, hard forms. There are no wire mattresses but there*'are frames attached to the walls and covered with sacking, which sags id the middle. I understand that the patients went into residence on October 22, but up to the time of my visit (November 2) not one apple, one cake, one sweet, or onebook had been supplied to them, although thousands of cases of apples have been dumped by the Government. “The conditions under which mental patients live in New Zealand is appalling, and I suggest that you make an official visit to the bach, and forward a report to your local M.P., and also to the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) and the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry). Prior to my departure from New Brighton I made arrangements for fruit and sweets to be supplied to tire patients over the week-end, and I leave them now in your hands.” The Mayor (Mr E. L. Smith) remarked at the meeting that the borough inspector reported that the premises were quite clean and that he did not think the complaint justified.