U.S. NAVAL HOME STATEMENT OF CAPT. FRANCIS J. FERRY, GOVERNOR BUDGET REQUEST Senator HARKIN. Now we have one more, Naval Home, the last independent agency we will hear from this morning. The Naval Home is requesting $10,055,000 for operations and maintenance, a capital outlay request of $1.2 million. This is the first time that the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee has considered the Naval Home's funding request. Prior to this year, the Home was funded out of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations. The 1991 defense authorization requires the Naval Home and U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home to be merged into a new, Federal independent agency, the Armed Forces Retirement Home, by 1995. I would like to welcome Capt. Francis J. Ferry before the subcommittee today. Captain Ferry presently serves as the 57th Governor of the Naval Home, which is celebrating its 157th anniversary this year. The Home was established by Congress to provide for proper care of older and disabled members of the Navy and Marine Corps. Captain Ferry, welcome to the subcommittee. Your statement will be made a part of the record in its entirety. If you could summarize it I would appreciate it. Captain FERRY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to appear before you today for the first time to discuss our U.S. Naval Home. I have prepared a statement for insertion in the record, but a brief summary follows. My purpose this afternoon is to furnish information on the Home that would be helpful to the committee during considerations of the fiscal year 1992 budget. We are located, sir, on 38 acres on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport, MS. Our main building is the resident dormitory that can house 580 Navy residents in individual rooms. Attached to it is a 60-bed health care complex, and routine support facilities. The remaining buildings are used to support our Home functions. Membership of the Home as of March 15, 1991, was 355. Now I would like to digress here-sorry about the hour being late one of our residents died on that day, and her name was Mary Reed. Mary died at the age of 94. She spent 12 years at the Naval Home. She was a World War I vet. She was a yeoman second class from Miners Mills, PA, and she was very active in politics. She served with the mayor of Philadelphia, and I think it would be a tribute to this committee and to Mary and to her family if her name would be mentioned in the Congressional Record. Senator HARKIN. I appreciate that. Thank you. Captain FERRY. Thank you, sir. Membership at the Naval Home has been kept low because of an extensive wall renovation project, and the contractors require large blocks of rooms, but this should be completed in March 1992. Currently as the Governor I am responsible for the administration, operations, maintenance of the Home, right now, under direction of the Chief of Naval Personnel. I have a small active duty staff of four officers, eight enlisted and civil service personnel. Our medical administrator and dental officer on the staff are not assigned to me. They are part of tenant commands at the Naval Home. They are under the control of the Bureau of Medicine, BuMed. But the Armed Forces Retirement Home Act will make significant changes in the administration of our Home. During fiscal year 1992 a civilian director and a civilian staff will be appointed to replace all active duty Navy personnel. Thereafter the Home administration will be civil service personnel, including the medical and dental support functions. Fiscal year 1992 is the transition year for the Naval Home to be an independent agency as part of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Our main challenge at the Naval Home is to continue to provide enhanced quality of life services for distinguished residents, while at the same time working and achieving congressionally mandated national accreditation as a continuing care retirement community. Again, all this will be done while we are transitioning from a DOD entity into an independent agency. Also starting in fiscal year 1992 the Naval Home will be financed by the trust fund. Our fiscal year 1992 budget as you said was $11,308,000, of which $10,055,000 is for O&M and $1,253,000 for capital programs. Mr. Chairman, the fiscal year 1992 budget request satisfies the minimum requirements of the Naval Home for maintaining the status quo in services, transition, and our initial staffing for the congressionally mandated national certification and accreditation, which we hope to achieve in fiscal year 1993. PREPARED STATEMENT The U.S. Naval Home will continue to be a peaceful harbor, where shipmates take personal pride in calling it their home. [The statement follows:] STATEMENT OF CAPT. FRANCIS J. FERRY PURPOSE The purpose of this statement is to furnish information on the Home which may be of interest during the committee's consideration of the United States Naval Home's fiscal year 1992 budget request. Included is pertinent information on the Home: its mission, administration, physical plant, financing and members. The statement also provides a general description of the fiscal year 1992 budget request. Fiscal year 1991 funding was provided by appropriation through the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy. Under the provision of Public Law 101-510, Title XV-Armed Forces Retirement Home, several changes regarding the United States Naval Home occurred in fiscal year 1991; however, most will occur in fiscal year 1992. The Armed Forces Retirement Home Act of 1991 incorporates the United States Naval Home and the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home into an in dependent federal agency in the Executive branch to be known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Each facility will be maintained as a separate establishment for administrative purposes. MISSION The United States Naval Home was established by Congress in 1832 to provide an honorable and comfortable home for old and disabled Officers and Enlisted members of the Navy and Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard while operating as part of the Navy, who are entitled to benefits of the institution. Both Officer and Enlisted personnel have been admitted to the United States Naval Home. Under the provision of Public Law 101-510 effective in fiscal year 1992, membership criteria changes. Membership will be a benefit for persons who served as members of any service of the Armed Forces, at least half of whose service was not active commissioned service, (except Warrant Officers and Limited Duty Officers) and who meet the following qualifications: (1) honest and faithful active service for twenty years or more and are age 60 or over, or (2) have service-connected disabilities rendering them unable to earn a livelihood, or (3) have non-service connected disabilities rendering them unable to earn a livelihood, provided they have had service in a war theater during a time of war declared by Congress or were eligible for hostile fire special pay under section 310 of title 37, United States Code, or (4) have served in a women's component or the Armed Forces before the enactment of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, and are determined under rules prescribed by the Retirement Home Board to be eligible for admission because of compelling personal circumstances. Qualifications (2) through (4) above are subject to rules to be prescribed by the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board. ADMINISTRATION United States Naval Home Staff: The Governor of the United States Naval Home is responsible for the administration and operation of the United States Naval Home under the direction of the Chief of Naval Personnel. The Governor currently has a small active duty staff consisting of an executive officer, supply officer, public works officer, and chaplain, along with small complement of Navy enlisted and civil service personnel. The medical administrator and dental officer, and their staff are currently tenant Commands who support the Home. The Armed Forces Retirement Home Act of 1991 will make changes in the Administration of the United States Naval Home. During fiscal year 1992 a civilian director and civilian staff will be appointed to replace the Governor and active duty Navy personnel. Thereafter the United States Naval Home administration will be civil service personnel including the medical and dental support functions. The Act establishes the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board which will exercise policy oversight over the Retirement Home and oversee the activities of the local boards of trustees. The United States Naval Home will have a Local Board of Trustees which shall exercise operational oversight over it and will provide reports to the Retirement Home Board through the Secretary of the Navy. Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the Retirement Home Board shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, for transmission to Congress, a report describing the financial and other affairs of the Retirement Home for that fiscal year. The law provides for an inspection of the Retirement Home every three years alternating between the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and the Inspector Generals of the military departments. PHYSICAL PLANT The United States Naval Home is located on a 38-acre site on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico at Gulfport, Mississippi. Eight acres are currently occupied by buildings, roads and parking lots, and the remaining 30 acres are landscaped. There are 10 principal buildings and 17 lesser structures ranging in age from 1 to 70 years old. Building One is the resident dormitory and is capable of housing 580 personnel in individual rooms. It also houses the following support functions: Medical (including a 60 bed health care complex), X-Ray, Laboratory, Dental, Barber and Beauty Shops, Navy Exchange, 2-lane Bowling Alley, 180-seat Movie Theater, Post Office, Laundry Distribution Room, Bank, Library, Game Room, Ball Room, Lounge, Snack Bar, full service Kitchen and Dining Facility, Administration, Resident Affairs, Security, Social Work and Recreation departments. The remaining buildings/structures are used to support United States Naval Home functions such as Public Works, Supply, Religious Programs, Security, Warehousing and Recreation as well as to house five key staff personnel. FINANCING The Armed Forces Retirement Home Act of 1991 establishes in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund. Currently there exists within this fund separate divisions for the United States Naval Home and the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home. Trust fund income will consist of fines and forfeitures, monthly deductions from the pay of enlisted members and warrant officers, interest on the fund, and members' monthly fees. The new law requires that the member's monthly fee include a percentage of retired pay, compensation or pension paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as well as civil service annuities and Social Security payments. Starting in fiscal year 1992 the U.S. Naval Home will be financed by the trust fund. MEMBERSHIP Membership as of 31 December 1990 was 357. Our male members range in age from 54 to 101 years, with an average age of 76 years. Our female members range in age from 59 to 96 years, with an average age of 79 years. There are 41 female members. The average age of the patients in the health care facility is 75 years. Average total membership during the fiscal year 1990 was 361. Membership has been kept at a low level because of an extensive wall renovation project where the contractor is working on numerous rooms. The project is scheduled for completion in March 1992 THE FISCAL YEAR 1992 BUDGET FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE The United States Naval Home's fiscal year 1992 operation and maintenance budget request is $10,055,000. THE FISCAL YEAR 1992 BUDGET FOR CAPITAL PROGRAM The United States Naval Home fiscal year 1992 capital outlay budget request is $1,253,000. CONCLUSION The residents of the United States Naval Home appreciate the Congress' interest in their welfare. FISCAL YEAR 1992 CAPITAL PROGRAM The Home's Capital Program request for fiscal year 1992 is $1,253,000 which will support needed restoration and improvement projects among the Home's facilities including: repairs and alterations to food service facilities; installation of additional 500KW emergency generator; modification to quarters and carports; and upgrading public address system and nurse call system. PROJECTS Repairs and alterations to food service facilities ($897).—Includes repairs to floors, ceilings and walls, installation of floor drains and modifications to the garbage disposal system, ventilation system and food service area. Hazardous conditions include slick surfaces which pose a constant slipping hazard and require resurfacing and provisions for drainage; and inadequate ventilation in high heat/moist areas. Existing walls are deteriorating from excessive moisture, are expensive and difficult to maintain and provide a constant breeding ground for roaches. Structural ceiling supports and metal are severely rusted/corroded. The garbage disposal system is inefficient, antiquated and extremely costly to maintain. The poor condition of the food service facility was listed as a major discrepancy in the 1990 DOD Inspector General's report. Install additional 500KW emergency generator ($81).-The additional emergency generator is required to provide power for HVAC at select areas and for critical equipment and spaces not supported by the single unit currently in place. In addition, the second generator will be used to back-up the existing unit in case of failure or during servicing if needed in a hurricane disaster. Construct modification to quarters and carports ($75).-Expansion of four quarters is required to meet space allowances authorized for GS-13 and higher civilian employees. Current net square footage is short of requirement. Included are modifica tions to existing carports which will protect property from constant exposure to the salt air environment and will provide much needed storage space. Upgrade public address system and nurse call system ($200).-Includes replacement of antiquated equipment, improving quality of sound for population served and increase the ability to zone messages to specific areas if required. INDEPENDENT LIVING AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Senator HARKIN. Thank you very much. Are you based here, or are you based in Mississippi? Captain FERRY. Gulfport, MS, sir. Senator HARKIN. You are based there, physically. Captain FERRY. Yes, sir; the Naval Home was in Philadelphia, PA. Congress in 1811 established the Home. It opened in 1834. In 1976 we moved down to Gulfport, MS. We are stationed there, sir. Senator HARKIN. You have been in the Navy for 26 years? Captain FERRY. Yes, sir. Senator HARKIN. You are a P-3 pilot? Captain FERRY. Yes, sir. Senator HARKIN. I have a lot of friends who flew P-3's. I was a Navy pilot myself, but I never flew it. I used to get rides in them all the time, back and forth in different things. Captain FERRY. I have 5,000 airborne hours inside the P-3, sir. Senator HARKIN. Is that right? Good old work horse. Are they still flying P-3's? Captain FERRY. Yes, sir; I do not fly it now. Senator HARKIN. Is the Navy still flying P-3's? Captain FERRY. Yes, sir; off both coasts and Hawaii. At Moffett Field, CA. Barbers Point, HI, and a big base in Brunswick, ME. They are also based in Jacksonville, FL. Senator HARKIN. One of the other hats that I wear here, aside from the independent agencies, I also chair the Disability Subcommittee on the Labor, Health, Human Services Committee. One of the things I am interested in is how best to ensure that those who perhaps are somewhat disabled have the maximum opportunity for independent living and social interaction during their time as residents of different institutions. This applies also to the Naval Home. Do you have programs and projects in that area specifically designed to help residents in independent living? I do not know what kind of living arrangements you have in the Home. Captain FERRY. Yes, sir; the Home is primarily a retirement home. It is really a continuing care retirement community. As a resident, you can walk in playing golf, then the next likely phases are: intermediate care, a residential care, to skilled nursing care. So we have the whole gamut. Right now, people who are handicapped as far as wheelchair dependency live on the second floor, and the third floor. We would like to get them down to the ground floor as soon as we can receive design money to build an 80-bed residential facility so they will not be elevator dependent. They have to use the elevator to get up to their rooms, so on the ground floor they would have more independence with immediate access to the outside. Also we will make a part of this 80-bed facility an Alzheimer unit. That is one of our goals, and if I could get $200,000 for design |