Thompson: The Cardiac Case 



41 



needed. A place to sleep, plenty of good but not expensive food, 

 pro\dsions for some exercise, and attendants to guide the patient 

 in taking exercise, are all that is needed outside of the doctor 

 to give general directions. 



The objection made to institutional life in general is appli- 

 cable here. Some cases should not be treated outside the home. 

 If the family can watch the patient slowly return to health, they 

 feel much more keenly the danger accompanying the return to 

 normal life too soon. When a child is brought home looking 

 bright and healthy, after a stay in the country or convalescent 

 home, it is very difficult to make the average parents realize 

 that even too much excitement during i^lay can harm their child. 

 The adult may often fare better at home under careful super- 

 vision for this same reason. If we could have such supervision 

 as is given by Bellevue Hospital thru their cardiac class, home 

 treatment would be profitable. In their report^ they give a record 

 of days spent in the hospital by 6 patients before and after com- 

 ing to the cardiac class. One year before coming to the cardiac 

 class these 6 spent a total of 251 days in the hospital. The year 

 following their entrance into the cardiac class none of the 6 

 were in the hospital for a single day. 



The work done under the supervision of this same institution 

 at the Sharon Home, which has been mentioned before, is also 

 very constructive. The patients are taken here at various ages 

 and spend anywhere from a few weeks to several months under 

 their care. The figures given deal with 49 men treated in the 

 Home. 



AGE ON ADMISSION 



19 under twenty years of age. 

 18 between 20 and 30. 



4 between 30 and 40. 



5 between 40 and 50. 

 2 between 50 and 60. 



1 man 60 years of age. 



1 



^ Proceedings of New York Conference on Hospital Social Service. Vol. IT, 

 1014-1915. 



