![]() ![]() In researching institutionalized family members, the researcher should recognize that treatment considered humane and at the forefront of good care in 1870 was by 1980 considered inhumane. The Northampton Lunatic Asylum became the Northampton State Hospital. For example, the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children was later called the Massachusetts Hospital School. The first name sounds harsh to the modern ear and later names sound too generic to be meaningful to the researcher. Many institutions have had more than one name over time. The old state institutions have been dismantled or repurposed. Today people with these challenges live in their local communities, often with support services. The same movement that in the 1800s moved the mentally ill into what was then considered more humane institutionalized treatment moved those with disabilities into hospitals, schools, and later large institutions. In the early period, people facing challenges often remained at home under the care of family members. The treatment of people with intellectual or physical disability also changed over time. Massive hospitals were dismantled or repurposed, often to house smaller programs for specific health issues such as opioid addition. With the advent of medications, patients became able to live within communities. In its implementation of massive hospitals, the state’s institutions moved quickly to conditions that were overcrowded, and staff that was untrained. Massachusetts led the national movement to provide more humane treatment in the 1800s, developing massive hospitals with what was then considered advanced treatment. The mentally ill in the early colonial period could be treated as witches or as felons or in the system developed for treating the destitute. Today, we expect social services and public welfare to help families in need to stay in their own homes and lead normal lives. Families warned in this way had two alternatives, to return to their town of birth or to enter the state-run almshouse. A little-known legal tool called " warning out" was used by town to tell newcomers that they were not eligible for the town-supported poorhouse. Still later the state built large almshouses and workhouses. Later, workhouses were developed in towns. In the colonial period, the destitute were sent to live with unrelated families while the town’s board of selectmen paid their room and board. The implementation of the best ideas falls short of the intentions. It is also true that our ability to deliver treatment has never lived up to our ideals. The state has been at the forefront of treatment options. As a society, Massachusetts has continually discussed the best approach to aid those in need. The types of institutions developed over that period is staggering. Massachusetts has over 400 years of European settlement. With a deeper understanding, we can tell a more complete story to our family. This page provides links directly to images of the records available for an institution, or to catalog entries when those records are still only in manuscript form.Īccessing these records means that we should understand two things: (1) the historical context of these illnesses, disabilities, and treatments because they differ so much from those of today, and (2) the laws and regulations pertaining to our ability to access these records. In Massachusetts, many older institutional registers are accessible to genealogists. No matter what the reason, we want to find out what happened to them because all relatives have a part in our stories. Institutions could help the mentally ill, disabled, orphaned, old, bankrupt, people with tuberculosis, or those convicted of crimes. Our primary local hospitals are Metrowest Medical Center, Newton Wellesley Hospital, and UMass-Marlborough hospital.When we can’t trace family members beyond a particular point in time, one possibility is that the family member was institutionalized. Affiliation with Partners Healthcare physicians and hospitals. ![]() 20 Locations in 11 Metrowest communities including Framingham, Holliston, Hudson, Marlborough, Millis, Natick, Northborough, Southborough, Sudbury, Wellesley, and Westborough.Personalized medical care in doctor’s offices, not large impersonal clinics. Over 75 Doctors and providers – Find a Doctor.New Patients call 1-50 or contact us online.We have over 75 compassionate doctors and nurse practioners cooperating to bring you low-hassle care in nine Metrowest communities. Convenient Primary Care in 11 Metrowest CommunitiesĬharles River Medical Associates provides a smooth healthcare experience for you and your family. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |