Trends in Long-Term Care - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

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or mentally ill to provide them with the best and most effective medical
treatment.
Co<strong>in</strong>cidentally enough, the same press that has recently highlighted
the so-called abuses of nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes simultaneously ran a series of
articles on scandals <strong>in</strong> the New York City municipal hospitals, which
are publicly controlled and which allegedly frittered away public
funds and provide very poor medical treatment.
I venture to predict that there never will be a time when the <strong>in</strong>stitutions
which deal with society's unfortunates-the hospitals, the mental
<strong>in</strong>stitutions, the nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes-will be free of criticism, ever.
Maybe consistent criticism is useful-and it is. We could never be
satisfied with the level of care provided to the disadvantaged. But it
is hardly fair to destroy those who have made some s<strong>in</strong>cere effort to
provide good facilities <strong>in</strong> these areas just because we can hope and
strive for a more perfect operation.
Just to prove to you that the stories you have heard about Bergman
nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes are false. I <strong>in</strong>sist that anyone talk<strong>in</strong>g about a Bergman
nurs<strong>in</strong>g home identify it by name, because an HEW official was recently
quoted on the front pages of the press criticiz<strong>in</strong>g the conditions
of one of our homes.
When he wvas asked which home hadl he visited. he could not even
identify the name of the home and the place of the home.
As you will, sir, hear dur<strong>in</strong>g my testimony, the overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g majority
of homes assigned to me are not m<strong>in</strong>e.
I also <strong>in</strong>sist that you visit a real Bergman nurs<strong>in</strong>g home, and there
are only two left <strong>in</strong> the city, and I advise the entire subcommittee
and its staff to come with me immediatelv after this hear<strong>in</strong>g is concluded
to the Park Crescent Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Hoome <strong>in</strong> Manhattan. which we
have operated s<strong>in</strong>ce 1971.
Just consider <strong>in</strong> this regard what great <strong>in</strong>jury Bergman has done
to the public <strong>in</strong>terest by operat<strong>in</strong>g this nurs<strong>in</strong>g home. Whlen Park
Crescent was opened the city had a wait<strong>in</strong>g list of 1,330 nurs<strong>in</strong>g home
patients who were monthly be<strong>in</strong>g ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> hospitals. because no
nurs<strong>in</strong>g home space was available, at a rate of more than $100 per
day.
For every patient admitted to the Park Crescent the city was sav<strong>in</strong>g
at least $40 to $50, or more than $1,200 a month. For 520 patients, this
comes to more than $20.000 per day or $600.000 a month.
Furthermore, you will, I trust, learn from the testimony that <strong>in</strong> the
decade-the last decade my major activity has not been <strong>in</strong> operation
of nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes at all. but rather <strong>in</strong> the real estate-<strong>in</strong> the brick
and mortar of nurs<strong>in</strong>g homes.
I do not pretend to you, sir. to be <strong>in</strong> this bus<strong>in</strong>ess as a charitable
enterprise. I am neither less nor more <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> the profits of the
bus<strong>in</strong>ess than the New York Pvbm.s or the TViRllae TVoice are <strong>in</strong>terested
<strong>in</strong> theirs.
And I believe I run mly bus<strong>in</strong>ess as lawfully as they run theirs, and,
I th<strong>in</strong>k, and T am sure, with a little more consideration for the rights
of the <strong>in</strong>dividual.
Thank you. [ Anu)lause.]
Senator Moss. Thank you, Dr. Bergman. I appreciate your statement,
and some parts of it are surpris<strong>in</strong>g, and I would like to ask a
few questions about it.