RANGIATEA HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1919, Page 6

RANGIATEA HOME.

INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATION. At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board the question of the over-crowded state of the home for old people was referred to by the chairman (Mr M. Fraser), who stated that the matron said it was impossible to accommodate any more inmates. The board had at present several applications for admission. He was under the impression that at a conference held between the three Taranaki boards an agreement had been reached as to the coat of maintenance of the patients from riisrticts other than the Taranaki district, but he was not at all sure that the agreement pledged the other districts in connection with enlargements to the home or in'the event of the necessity of rebuilding the home. Recently some members of the Hawera Board had been in New Plymouth inspecting the hospital farm, and the question of the Old People's Home had been mentioned, and these members had thought a conference might be held to come to some understanding on the matter, by devising means for enlarging the present building or erecting a new home. There was no room for any more inmates, and something would have to be done for the old people. A great deal was heard about the health of women and children—and rightly so—but the proper care of the old people seemed to be somewhat,,in the air. The accommodation at present provided 'for about 45 "at a pinch." Mr Capper thought the time had come when the Hawera end of the district should be asked to provide accommodation for their own old people in their own district.

Mr J. Andrews 9aid, so far as he could see, if tlie board had the use of the home for inmates from its own district there would be accommodation enough at present. He thought that the other boards should be asked to accept the responsibility of the care of their own old people. Mr Halcombe pointed out that the agreement between the boards in respect to the home was not a very recent one, and that the general conditions had changed as had also the personnel of all the boards. He thought a conference of the boards should be held to reconsider the whole position, and he moved that the Taranaki Board invite the other boards to met them at Stratford on a date to be arranged to discuss the whole question of accommodation for the old people. The motion was carried unanimously.