History Note
Each month of 2007,
Access Press will feature an important person or persons in disability
history: local, regional or national
'Unbelievable’ Lack
of Staff
MinnARC’s
1964 Survey Led to Increased Care at State Hospitals
by Luther Granquist
On September 9, 1964, the
Minnesota Association for Retarded Children (MinnARC) surveyed the
staffing levels in Minnesota’s
state hospitals for persons with mental retardation. They counted the number
of persons in each building and the number of direct care staff persons actually
on duty for each shift. At Faribault, the ratios were appalling—1:23
in the morning, 1:32 in the afternoon and 1:82 at night. A direct care staff
person from Building 21 at Brainerd said, “We barely have time for custodial
care.”
MinnARC presented its report to the 1965 Legislature, together with
a picture booklet, A Major Minnesota Problem, with large maroon lettering
on gold paper. The booklet included photographs from the state hospitals,
such as this one of a barefooted woman huddled on the floor.
MinnARC recommended
833 new positions to meet national standards. Governor Karl Rolvaag,
who said, “The lack of staff is absolutely
unbelievable,” included 578 in his proposed budget. The legislature
approved only 421, which was, nevertheless, more than had ever been
approved before. ![]()
