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Good afternoon and welcome the dbx Journal. I'm Bill Gavin is. A foster care program for elderly patients is being established at Mass General Hospital. The topic of the first piece on today's show. We'll hear about the proposed restoration of two historic homes in Quincy the birthplace of John and John Quincy Adams. Will have features on kids in Boston in the summer with a little do. A sand castle building contest in Ipswich. And commentary from the lines. When elderly patients are released from hospitals they're often faced with limited alternatives. For many the option of living with their families does not exist and the thought of entering a nursing home is either financially impossible or emotionally distressing. Nonetheless many elderly patients often need some kind of support after release from the hospital environment. In response to this need Massachusetts General Hospital is establishing a pilot foster
care program for its elderly patients. MARTIN Keller has this report. On one and he hopes through the community has a responsibility not only for the patients who are born here but how to respond. To the after care of their patients. When I'm. Being responsible for continuing care when a patient leaves the queue and if it is well-planned and. Can often prevent readmission nurse. Traditionally the use of foster care is limited to the young. But this for Massachusetts General Hospital will implement a one year pilot foster care program for some of its elderly patients. The program one of only two in the nation is a precursor of what may lie ahead for elderly patients upon hospital release. It will not only present a hopeful option to patients but may also aid hospitals in breaking the endless
cycle of elderly readmissions because of poor post hospital care. Social worker Amy Judd explains there are many elderly people who. Live alone and really because of their physical and emotional needs really shouldn't be living alone. They live in adequate housing situations and they don't have the support of care that they really need. Many of these patients we've had a place in nursing homes in the past. And many patients are really reluctant to consider nursing home placement primarily because they see nursing home care as. The and to their independence. And. Their sense of individuality. Presently. Elderly people who really do need the support of care. Rather than accept a nursing home placement cling to inadequate living situations and often
isolated lots. And repeal that family care would be eagerly accepted by such patients. Family Care Not only will answer the need of the individual patient the hospital find itself relieved of the increasingly difficult problem of placement businessman Jeanette Butler explains. One of the problems that we have had within the past year or so. Has been due to a scarcity of beds and nursing homes so that it's been very difficult in some cases for us to place patients in nursing homes because there haven't been any bads. And if we had an alternative to nursing homes we would be able to place some of these patients. One of the results of not having enough nursing home beds is that patients stay in a Massachusetts General longer than medically necessary and. They are taking up a bad abetter not a patient. In addition for Medicaid patients who are in the hospital beyond medical necessity the hospital is not reimbursed for
embarrassment right so the hospital loses money. This is true about the hospitals of course as well. On any one day between 30 and 40 elderly patients remain at Mass General beyond medical necessity because they have no place to go. While not all would be appropriate for foster care the hospital plans to place approximately 30 patients during the first year with hopes of future expansion of the program. Many of the patients have previously lived alone and this is no longer a good after care solution. Some will need minimal assistance with bathing dressing or diet. For this type of person the very opportunity to enter into the social stimulation of family life will be significant. Others may be more disabled for instance needing the use of a walker. Each family willing to provide a foster home will be screened and trained. The goal being a good match between patient needs and family resources. Amy Judd describes the process interesting. Introductory program during which we outline our program
we include a description of the type of patients we intend to place and also the responsibilities that family members will have to assume in taking a patient. The next step is for an interested family to complete an application. And return it to Mass General Hospital. We then intend to follow up these applications with a home visit and will also be contacting references on the families. Once we have completed a home visit we as a staff discuss the particular family that supplied to the program and we're basically considering both the physical structure of their home its safety its cleanliness and. You know whether or not there are too many stairs. And also the interest motivation and attitude of the applicant family. You try to match the needs of the patient to the needs of the family. Absolutely. As we interview families we tried to get an
idea of what type of patient with would fit best into their home and lifestyle and also what kinds of needs they are capable of meeting. When we interview patients we will be assessing their needs their medical needs nursing needs psychosocial needs and then place them with a family who is most capable of meeting their needs. We also want to have patients from families matched in terms of compatible lifestyles. We want people to feel comfortable in family homes for GBH Journal Kelleher. Part of a character in the drama of New England is defined by its historic sites and traditions.
Much of the early history of this country can be traced to the region building standing for hundreds of years marking the time of our past. Two historic buildings in Quincy However in a state of disrepair and require substantial government funding for the restoration. Reporter Lisa Mullins has more medically to how you look at what the well pain of the well-maintained what is behind what you see on the surface behind the exterior it's all interior work has to be done. The underpinning in this house the basement has to be completely done all this lot of dry rot. Welcome to the John Quincy Adams birthplace. This is the House that John and Abigail call the old cottage that they love so much in Braintree and it's the House that John Adams bought Abigail to as his bride in 1764. They lived here for 20 years during the revolution. However the house is much older than that. The house dates from 16th 63 when it was originally built by a man named Samuel Delta.
Over 18000 visitors have passed through the John Adams and John Quincy Adams homes in a single year. The two Quincy national landmarks are the site of the two oldest presidential birth places in America. And Quincy is the only city where two United States presidents were born. But the homes are in trouble structurally they're unstable and need to be restored. But the city of Quincy said it just doesn't have the money to make those repairs for this reason a bill as been proposed to place the homes with the government in the hands of the National Park Service a bill is already been passed in the house but has yet to be heard in the Senate. The Adams mansion is separate from the two homes and is now under the control of the Park Service and with a little help from the Senate. The John Adams and John Quincy Adams birth places will soon be receiving federal funding. Caretaker William Van Riper explain more about the proposed bill. If the federal government the Department of Interior the park services will administer the property as property like the mansion is right now. So that's all controlled by the federal government the city the state the quinta Sturrock a society has
nothing to do with the Adams national storks I saw federal and that's what they hope to do with these homes so that any financial responsibility will not be the city's obligation. It will be the federal government's obligation an economic question. Essentially city feels as though they don't have the financial resources to maintain the powers that they should be. So they propose to the federal government they take them over and that's where it stands right now. The houses need in excess of $500000 restoration and the city is of the opinion they just simply cannot come up with that type of funding. Specifically what in restoration I noticed in the in the other building one one room was closed off entirely because of the floor. The east side of John Adams house is falling towards Franklin Street. It's pulling away from the structure and there's insect infestation throughout the houses the roofs have to be done over again. Basically it's structural work. The structures have to be reinforced primarily.
Just over three centuries this is an abandoned reason. No not at all. Everything is waiting for federal legislation. Well the waiting may be longer than desired according to Dennis Gallivan deputy regional director of the National Park Service in Boston. Even if the bill is passed in the Senate this year appropriations won't be available for another year. But in the meantime the NPF will use what's called a maintenance rehabilitation fund for repairs that need immediate attention such as a leaky roof or an unstable floor. Then before the funding comes through the NPF will prepare a historic structure report which will include research done to set guidelines for future repairs a shingled roof for example will be replaced with a wooden shake roof like the original. Special attention is being given to the homes because of the great significance in history. Caretaker William Van Riper explained why Mrs. Beswick that of the two alters presidential birthplace of the United States of America an offense where they are the original
structures. A good 90 percent of what we're looking at is the original So that itself. Historically the significance of the homes plus what transpired here with the people with the absolute living on the property is of great historical value to the development of our country. So much of the revolution was discussed here. The feasibility of pulling off a revolution. The legalities of the state constitution of Massachusetts was drafted in John Quincy Adams to solve things of this nature just incredible history because of the size historical significance the homes attract a large number of tourists but to visitors the structural deterioration of the houses isn't very obvious. Superficially you're looking at the property and it looks actually looks well maintained the grounds look nice the houses are painted and anyhow this pain is going to look good it just has a nice appearance and is good and it's what's underneath the paint that they don't see we don't take them up to the roof we don't take them to the attic. We don't take them into the cellar
but they were there and put their hands on some of the beams and see the dry rot and see what happened to the homes. Then I think they have a different term potations different opinion of property. But right now they just don't look at it seriously. Mr. William Van Riper though realizes the crucial situation the homes are in right now. His hope is just that the homes will be restored and that people throughout the United States can see these pieces of American history and I see lot of the properties maintained and preserved for Americans of the future then that's all we can ask for. That's all we have up until this point 978 the fact the houses are still here and that Americans that are interested are people all over the world that are interested to come here and visit the home. And I think that's the key. I mean history is an ongoing reality. And if we're going to preserve our historical treasures we have to work for them for GBH Journal. I'm Lisa Mullins.
Despite efforts on the part of both federal and local agencies to provide money for jobs for city kids in the summer youth unemployment runs very high. And while summer provides many of us with the time for vacations kids without jobs and without the opportunity to go away remain in a hot and humid city with little to do. So many of them take to the streets to hang out to be outside to congregate with friends. But the image which they project does not always reflect the reality of the situation. Mike Marshall repaired this report each June thousands of Boston teenagers are faced with the prospect of a frustrating boring summer. This is due to the huge seasonal increase in unemployment among youth during July and August. The consequences of this job shortage is sometimes obvious
delinquency drinking and drug abuse are all aggravated by summertime boredom. However these activities are not the mainstay of unemployed adolescents. Instead a much more subtle ritual appears to be the most common pastime. The names it is called by vary but this activity is probably best described as hanging out. Hanging out simply entails occupying a certain locale and maintaining a report with others who are also hanging out such gatherings probably constitute loitering in the eyes of most people. However the youth who engage in the activity downplay such notions of vagrancy to them. Hanging out is not an alternative to a job but actually a vocation in itself. People here work you have to work do your work and. Get a better track.
Right now I would have you know if you were going to work with. Them. I think it's pathetic to have to work in a. Jobs are not a popular subject for discussion among the unemployed youth. When the topic arises many teenagers downgrade the importance of employment or deny wanting it at all. Inevitably they blame society at large for the lack of a job. Government in particular is cited as a culprit. Most teenagers appear to have little efficacy in local state or federal efforts to ease unemployment. Politics in general is often viewed with a bitter cynicism. Not heard of people. They're rapping with passers by is not the only diversion involved in hanging out some youths pursue other activities on the street corners amateur musical and
theatrical performing is especially popular. Boston is a city already crowded with street performers standards for such activities are unusually high. The young artists are aware of this but they still manage to approach their crafts with a casual and unpretentious attitude. Some examples exist in a saxophone player and street comic I encountered one afternoon in Chelsea. I probably thought. Of this before. Somebody or this girl for the thought of God sort of thought a really good dinner a couple of course if I don't like. That would my parents love me but they had a weird wish my mother love me with. My measure it with my
players. I got it but it was got to be all bad I would die die by hanging out. Does bring some pleasure to those left unemployed in the summer. However the youth who engage in the pastime realize that it is not a legitimate activity in the eyes of society. Most people regard gangs of teenagers on the streets as a nuisance at best. The stigma does little for the self-esteem of unemployed adolescents. Most have no alternative to hanging out but they are regardless considered deviant in pursuing the activity. This is a bitter paradox for many teenagers. Ultimately it can only increase the alienation that they already experience through unemployment. They could think of the work of explaining yourself to death with them with. You know it is why they appear you know just sitting around doing nothing. Why don't they do some with just self you know. That's what their fate I guess or people are thinking. Of course that's what people are thinking. You know. If they need to get anything bill due to time just like we
said to the police when the police go up and you know make us do our bit where we say they got something better to do with their time you know what I mean. Same thing. But I mean like I said I. I feel I did say everybody got one life to live. You know. If you're old enough to have the opportunity to to live it the way you want to. OK. For GBH Journal this is Mike Marshall. Last Saturday a steep hill beach in Ipswich mass underwent a serious transformation. It wasn't the usual oil spill. He was a 1978 sandcastle competition.
Design professionals architects and family spread along the beach designing and building castles. REPORTER No longer was there and spoke to some of those competing for the coveted Golden shovel award back in from Worcester. And I've made a castle here that I'm rather proud of because I view with no tools whatsoever except in my hands and occasionally a rubber ball to help make the track. McConnell stop supporting. Some of them are lying for too long I just made and in fact and would describe it I mean what exactly does it do. There are Iraq. Passageways. And rubber ball. And the rubber balls go over bridges and through tunnels and under bridges and so forth. It starts. At the top and it is probably a total drop of four or five feet by the time you get to the bottom with a reproduction of the Silvia and Bombay it was supposedly we could figure it out and I think the 980.
And get made but I was still there. Excavation they had been made up since then and although scale excavation to the scale on the mountain the scale the scale the ocean is not the scale. Not about does it. I see that part of it is part of the city is sort of and that was that with those fields they were not at the point. Of my excavation records were taken from 1900 with the latest record I had of how many people were involved in the war we had 80 people in this project and part of them were on the lobster which is adjacent to this so I think maybe there are 35 or 40. Primarily its a large base facing out toward the ocean. And he's playing a flute. So you can see his face nose mouth ears and so forth with a hat on
you know in his hands. And then above his head. People. In the back are eventually becomes a pipe organ. In addition to the Pied Piper of Castle Hill there was the more traditional architecture of medieval castles Swiss villages pyramids Sphinxes and futuristic dwellings there were Buddhas a giant cat a huge turtle and a McDonald's hamburger. The beach was cluttered with over a thousand people and at least two hundred twenty sand sculptures one group did a conceptual piece. They buried themselves from the neck down and called it a think tank. And there was music supplied by the roaming Cambridge brass ensemble. There was even a 60 foot Aardvark. What inspired you to do an aardvark. They happened to be very day marking the sixth anniversary of the birth of the very birth of Aardvark in captivity. It was on that day that I would write a song called the aardvark. I would talk to the group which has in turn
inspired the project which you can hear for GBH Journal. This is new walker. First of all preserving time lines. It's the season to preserve the guidance of tomatoes corn beans berries. We put them up in our household any I'm the modern housewife is not to say she cans things but it's not the can but I'm glad that's been the traditional storage for plenty of garden sass. The mason jar is already in the freezer by many decades but it's contemporary too. The
mason jar with its accessible wide open top has been a basic household accessory for more than a hundred years. The kind of homely invention that didn't get into the encyclopedia but is its own monument our observance of the 100th anniversary of the masons on this program nearly 20 years ago brought a letter from one family that had been putting things up in the same mason jars for 75 years. This carried through three generations and as many moved moves they carried the mason jars with them just as they did the old wooden chopping bowl for deicing the Salar in peppers and green tomatoes. No argument there about refillable containers. An older generation tended to make a distinction between putting up vegetables and preserving fruits special efforts in preserving went to the items of local origin beach plums on the Cape. If the current bushes had escaped the White Pine best to rust or their ruthless extermination to protect the pines co-host of the same disease. But homemade relishes on the pride of the pantry
shelves before there were salads. There were relishes and happily they have not been displaced. Chutney mustard pickles rhubarb sauce. Whether to put out blueberries depends on the number of pickers in the family it's slow work even when it comes to the high bush berries are accessible and easily visible in the woods. When pickers are enterprising enough to discover a profitable patches of a low bush kind and twined with a wild strawberry monitor half hidden by all or a milkweed only the wild blueberry has enough flavor to be worth putting up and with a cultivated kind priced at 1:45 a pint in the supermarket. Only the product of family energy can be afforded. As summer slips toward fall the light vacationer captures the ripening season color creeping into ground cover blueberry leaves already bronze the second cutter hay is down where there's an art to make it worth cutting 10 the animals in the field to pasture it round the second cut. Then they went on for years of the old
French who had for the second hay cutting as naturally as he says Timothy hay or clover. One wonders how such a word as round got established in grass roots simplicity of rural speech. An early immigrant perhaps from Longfellow Cadia. One may be curious as to how such a phrase is putting things up took idiomatic root in the language. It's a question of course about any idea and always a question how local it is. Take hook line and sinker as familiar as sand in the New England coast. But when I witness in the James Earl Ray Herring said it said he thought Mark Lane had swallowed a four story hook line and sinker. It broke up the committee was the expression so new to them. Was it just any quaint expression would relieve the tension. Trigger laughter. It's strange to read that have its great Peabody Museum is considering selling some of its historic collections. One thinks of a museum as acquiring collections not dispensing them custodians of the record of the rays. That's what a curator of the
Smithsonian says in letting out the news of the discussions at the Peabody. It makes him so mad he's written the local persons with clout as he puts it to try to stop it but the Peabodys critic admit they're in a bind his words again. They need money to maintain their collections but the university won't let them compete. With its own fund raising have it has a policy known as every tub stands on its own bottom meaning its responsible for its own financing. Museums are a moat of the college freshman but their upkeep is part of the cost of his education. When Kai's Metcalf was having librarian he once supported the just placing a book on the shelf which was a commitment of two dollars museums have somewhat comparable economies modern requester University are expected to provide for future maintenance like permanent care for a cemetery lot. But this was not a consideration of earlier bequests the collections the Peabody as reported considering to sell include American Indian portraits acquired in 1882
when Conant was present when he was impatient with the success of the curator of rare books to find owners could more usefully be applied to a new chemistry building he thought. When Keith Kane was a senior member of Harvard's governing board he started a study of the relation of the costs of museums and special libraries to undergraduate tuitions. But nothing came of it. It depended on one point of view. Some cases are easier than others. When the athletic department one season reported a deficit of one hundred thousand dollars President Clinton said that was not a deficit. But the cost of an athletic department the Peabody Museum director says no decision has been reached on selling any collection but it will have to be something that will yield around a million dollars and a half to get it. Out of a bind. For Wednesday the 23rd day of August 1978 that's GBH Journal of regional news
magazine heard Monday through Friday at 4:30. Producer and editor for The Journal is Marjorie Hertz today's engineer Perry Gardiner and I broke up with. A woebegone will be all Littleton's this wonderful Wednesday.
Series
WGBH Journal
Episode
Elderly Care; Adams
Producing Organization
WGBH Educational Foundation
Contributing Organization
WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/15-73pvmvcv
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Description
Series Description
WGBH Journal is a magazine featuring segments on local news and current events.
Broadcast Date
1978-08-23
Created Date
1978-08-23
Genres
News
Magazine
Topics
News
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:31:08
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Credits
Producing Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation
Production Unit: Radio
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WGBH
Identifier: 78-0160-08-23-001 (WGBH Item ID)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Generation: Master
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Citations
Chicago: “WGBH Journal; Elderly Care; Adams,” 1978-08-23, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-73pvmvcv.
MLA: “WGBH Journal; Elderly Care; Adams.” 1978-08-23. WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-73pvmvcv>.
APA: WGBH Journal; Elderly Care; Adams. Boston, MA: WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-73pvmvcv