THE PRIVATE NURSING-HOME
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—With reference to a question asked by Miss Rathbone, M.P., in the House of Commons lately, may I be allowed space in your valuable paper to call attention to the conditions prevailing in many privately owned Nursing Homes? Nobody will deny that many of these Homes are admirably run and equipped. On the other hand many fall short of a decent standard of comfort and efficient nursing and the prices charged are no guarantee of either. The patient is practically at the mercy of the proprietor and few physicians, unless they are resident at the Homes—which is rare—have little knowledge of the inner working and management of the places their patients are consigned to— also many doctors regard complaints made to them as due to the fretfulness caused by illness.
In the interests of sick people I am convinced that pro- prietary Nursing Homes privately owned would be better abolished, or if retained, should have visiting committees appointed by the local supervising authorities similar to those serving hospitals and institutions. In some homes nurses are overworked and work under very old-fashioned conditions and are not too well housed and therefore cannot give of their best to the patient. Sometimes nurses are employed who are not fully trained and again the patient suffers. The food served is often indifferent in quality and badly sent up. Having lately had personal experience of a not too well run Nursing Home, where the prices were decidedly high, I am sure the east wind of publicity would be very beneficial to the sick in these privately owned places,--I am, yours faithfully,
" IM-PATIENT."
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