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

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

aging.senate.gov
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2q36 or mentally ill to provide them with the best and most effective medical treatment. Coong>inong>cidentally enough, the same press that has recently highlighted the so-called abuses of nursong>inong>g homes simultaneously ran a series of articles on scandals ong>inong> 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 ong>inong>stitutions which deal with society's unfortunates-the hospitals, the mental ong>inong>stitutions, the nursong>inong>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 song>inong>cere effort to provide good facilities ong>inong> 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 nursong>inong>g homes are false. I ong>inong>sist that anyone talkong>inong>g about a Bergman nursong>inong>g home identify it by name, because an HEW official was recently quoted on the front pages of the press criticizong>inong>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 durong>inong>g my testimony, the overwhelmong>inong>g majority of homes assigned to me are not mong>inong>e. I also ong>inong>sist that you visit a real Bergman nursong>inong>g home, and there are only two left ong>inong> the city, and I advise the entire subcommittee and its staff to come with me immediatelv after this hearong>inong>g is concluded to the Park Crescent Nursong>inong>g Hoome ong>inong> Manhattan. which we have operated song>inong>ce 1971. Just consider ong>inong> this regard what great ong>inong>jury Bergman has done to the public ong>inong>terest by operatong>inong>g this nursong>inong>g home. Whlen Park Crescent was opened the city had a waitong>inong>g list of 1,330 nursong>inong>g home patients who were monthly beong>inong>g maong>inong>taong>inong>ed ong>inong> hospitals. because no nursong>inong>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 savong>inong>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 ong>inong> the decade-the last decade my major activity has not been ong>inong> operation of nursong>inong>g homes at all. but rather ong>inong> the real estate-ong>inong> the brick and mortar of nursong>inong>g homes. I do not pretend to you, sir. to be ong>inong> this busong>inong>ess as a charitable enterprise. I am neither less nor more ong>inong>terested ong>inong> the profits of the busong>inong>ess than the New York Pvbm.s or the TViRllae TVoice are ong>inong>terested ong>inong> theirs. And I believe I run mly busong>inong>ess as lawfully as they run theirs, and, I thong>inong>k, and T am sure, with a little more consideration for the rights of the ong>inong>dividual. Thank you. [ Anu)lause.] Senator Moss. Thank you, Dr. Bergman. I appreciate your statement, and some parts of it are surprisong>inong>g, and I would like to ask a few questions about it.

2937 Did I understand you to say the Towers Nursong>inong>g Home had been closed? Dr. BERGMcAN. (Colrect. Senator Moss. What was your relationship to it while it was operatong>inong>g? Dr. BERGMA[. My wife was one of the licensees. Senator Moss. Was one of the licensees? Di'. BERGMAN. Correct. Senator Moss. And she no longer holds that position? Dr). BERGMAN. No; it was closed. Senator Moss. Were you not, listed as the busong>inong>ess manager ong>inong> the license renewal ong>inong> 1972 for the Towers? Dr. BERGMAN. No, sir. Not to my knowlvedge. Senator Moss. There is an application from the city health department that would ong>inong>dicate that you were so listed. Dr. BERGM3A.N. Is that right? Senator Moss. That is what I am ong>inong>formed. Dr. BERGMAN. I am not ,aware, Mr. Senator. If I would be shown, I would like to see it. Mr. LEWIN. Ml. Chairman, if there will be reference to any documents, I thong>inong>k it should be clear that Dr. Bergman has a chance to see those documents. He has been out of the country, he has returned withong>inong> the last 2 weeks. Certaong>inong>ly ong>inong> terms of preparation for this hearong>inong>g, he has not had an opportunity to review documents. He has come here today, he has provided his truthful testimony. I thong>inong>k as every testimony provides, it is subject to matters of recollection, and to the extent that there were documents which would refresh his recollection, I thong>inong>k the Chair should show him or give him the opportunity to see them. Senator Moss. 'We only expect to get from Dr. Bergman the truth as he remembers it. He is not on trial. 'We are not goong>inong>g to go through all of the procedures of a court trial. 'We are just goong>inong>gr to try to get what ong>inong>formation we can, and we appreciate his comong>inong>g here to testify before us. Mr. IEwIN-. I thong>inong>k Dr. Bergman did ong>inong>dicate the Towers was a Bergman family nursong>inong>- home. Whether it was ong>inong> his name, whether it was ong>inong> his wife's name, or he was or was not listed as a busong>inong>essman does not contradict him. Mi'. SEIDMrAN-. Mr. Chairman, if you have records that reflect that, you can ask Dr. Bergman whether he is Senator Moss. I am goong>inong>g to have to say that you lawyers will have to leave if you want to conduct a trial here. I am not conductong>inong>g a trial. [Applause.] I sat on the bench for 10 years. and I can run a trial if I have to. For 15 years I have been tryong>inong>g to dig ong>inong>to nursong>inong>g homes to fong>inong>d out what goes on, and that is all I am tryong>inong>g to do here. Mlr. SEIDMrAN-. I respect that, Mr. Chairman. Senator Moss. Your sons, Meyer and Stanley. were ong>inong>volved with you when you were ong>inong> the nursong>inong>g home, and a man named Mark Loren? Dr. BERG-MAN. Yes; correct. Senator Moss. Is he a relative of yours?

2937<br />

Did I understand you to say the Towers Nurs<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Home had been<br />

closed?<br />

Dr. BERGMcAN. (Colrect.<br />

Senator Moss. What was your relati<strong>on</strong>ship to it while it was<br />

operat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g?<br />

Dr. BERGMA[. My wife was <strong>on</strong>e of the licensees.<br />

Senator Moss. Was <strong>on</strong>e of the licensees?<br />

Di'. BERGMAN. Correct.<br />

Senator Moss. And she no l<strong>on</strong>ger holds that positi<strong>on</strong>?<br />

Dr). BERGMAN. No; it was closed.<br />

Senator Moss. Were you not, listed as the bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess manager <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

license renewal <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1972 for the Towers?<br />

Dr. BERGMAN. No, sir. Not to my knowlvedge.<br />

Senator Moss. There is an applicati<strong>on</strong> from the city health department<br />

that would <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicate that you were so listed.<br />

Dr. BERGM3A.N. Is that right?<br />

Senator Moss. That is what I am <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formed.<br />

Dr. BERGMAN. I am not ,aware, Mr. Senator. If I would be shown,<br />

I would like to see it.<br />

Mr. LEWIN. Ml. Chairman, if there will be reference to any documents,<br />

I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k it should be clear that Dr. Bergman has a chance to<br />

see those documents.<br />

He has been out of the country, he has returned with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the last 2<br />

weeks. Certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms of preparati<strong>on</strong> for this hear<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, he has not<br />

had an opportunity to review documents.<br />

He has come here today, he has provided his truthful testim<strong>on</strong>y.<br />

I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k as every testim<strong>on</strong>y provides, it is subject to matters of recollecti<strong>on</strong>,<br />

and to the extent that there were documents which would refresh<br />

his recollecti<strong>on</strong>, I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k the Chair should show him or give him<br />

the opportunity to see them.<br />

Senator Moss. 'We <strong>on</strong>ly expect to get from Dr. Bergman the truth<br />

as he remembers it. He is not <strong>on</strong> trial.<br />

'We are not go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to go through all of the procedures of a court trial.<br />

'We are just go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gr to try to get what <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> we can, and we appreciate<br />

his com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g here to testify before us.<br />

Mr. IEwIN-. I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k Dr. Bergman did <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicate the Towers was a<br />

Bergman family nurs<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>- home.<br />

Whether it was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his name, whether it was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his wife's name, or<br />

he was or was not listed as a bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>essman does not c<strong>on</strong>tradict him.<br />

Mi'. SEIDMrAN-. Mr. Chairman, if you have records that reflect that,<br />

you can ask Dr. Bergman whether he is<br />

Senator Moss. I am go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to have to say that you lawyers will have<br />

to leave if you want to c<strong>on</strong>duct a trial here. I am not c<strong>on</strong>duct<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a<br />

trial. [Applause.]<br />

I sat <strong>on</strong> the bench for 10 years. and I can run a trial if I have to.<br />

For 15 years I have been try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to dig <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to nurs<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g homes to f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<br />

out what goes <strong>on</strong>, and that is all I am try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to do here.<br />

Mlr. SEIDMrAN-. I respect that, Mr. Chairman.<br />

Senator Moss. Your s<strong>on</strong>s, Meyer and Stanley. were <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volved with<br />

you when you were <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the nurs<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g home, and a man named Mark<br />

Loren?<br />

Dr. BERG-MAN. Yes; correct.<br />

Senator Moss. Is he a relative of yours?

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