LETTERS"OLDER AUTHOR" WINNERHONORS NIECE, A NURSEI hope that my essay ("What I ex­pect from the Nurse," May/June, p.154) may have sufficient merit to of­fer at least a bit of stimulation toreaders of GN. I have forwarded the$300 prize to Villanova University'sCollege of Nursing to honor JeanFellows DeBartolo, my niece and amember of the Villanova faculty. Itwas she who encouraged my partici­pation in the contest.

Houston.Natural Gas Coporation,the company from which I am re­tired after 32 years, will contribute~n additional $600 under the termsof their two-for-one Matching GiftsProgram.

Before joining Houston NaturalGas, I was a country newspaper edi­tor in Alice, Texas, for three of thebest years of my life. I've always

been glad that I was born and rearedin a small town, Lansing, Iowa,earned a degree in business at theUniversity of Iowa, and did somegraduate work in journalism. InJune I will have been married for 48years to Frances Hogle, the schoolteacher from Iowa who accompaniedme to Texas on our honeymoon. It'sbeen a good life all the way!

KENNETH FELLOWS, TX

This award (second prize, Older Au­thors contest, May/June, p. ISS) is agreat honor, one I'll enjoy thinkingabout as long as I last.

My one regret is that all the othercontestants could not receive awards,but the fact that they submitted es­says seems to me to prove that theyfeel gratified, as I do, at the treat­ment they have received from themembers of the nursing pr.ofession.To the nurses and doctors at Indian­apolis Community Hospital lowe

four years of life that nature appar­ently did not intend for me to have.

I retired at 65 after 23 years as apost office clerk. In my youth, Iworked for eight years in the Civil­ian Conservation Corps, which I un­derstand Congress is talking aboutreviving to help unemployed youngpeople. Then I was in the army forfive years during World War II.

I don't possess the vocabulary totell you what the contest award hasdone for my ego.

RODNEY C. PERKINS, IN

Editor's Note: It gives us deep sor­row to announce that PerlilureDrake, the third prize winner, hasdied. She was a lifelong resident ofAlexander City, Alabama. KellDrake, her husband, to whom her$100 award has been sent, and herdaughter Brynell Mayes describeMs. Drake as a devoted homemakerand member of the Church of God.She was the mother of I I children.of whom seven are living.

"HOSPICE NURSING"BRINGS PRAISEMajor Thomas's "Hospice Nursing"(Jan./Feb., p. 22) is an absolutelybeautiful and smashing article thatindeed did capture the joys andproblems of being a hospice nurse.

MARTHA JO TROSTEL, RN, TX

Major Thomas's very well-writtenarticle is a strong argument for hos­pice. I have shared the article withmy administrator and staff. Theyfound a wealth of information tohelp further direct their thinking andto consider in application with .ourown program at the Visiting NurseService.

LEE BATTEY, RN, TX

NUTRITIONAL UPDATEI read with interest Violet Lichten­stein's very practical article "Nutri­tional Management" (Nov./Dec.'82, p. 386).

As supervisor, medical informa­tion, Mead Johnson Nutritional Di­vision, I should like to correct and

update some information relative toMead Johnson products.

Isocal is isotonic with an osmolali­ty of 300 mOsm/kg water. Sustacalis not milkbased; its protein source iscasein and soy protein isolate. Flexi­cal was replaced by Criticare HN inDecember 1981.

Criticare HN provides 1,060 calo­ries, 38 gm protein, 3 gm fat, and222 gm carbohydrate per 1000 ml.The osmolality is 650 mOsm/kgwater; it is lactose free and the pro­tein source is hydrolyzed casein, me­thionine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.

ROLAND TULEY, INThe author, Violet Lichtenstein, re­plies: I would like to thank RolandTuley for updating information onMead Johnson products. At the timeI wrote the article, the change fromFlexical to Criticare occurred. Sus­tacal is also available in powderform and is mixed with milk.

TOWARD LESSAUTHORITARIANISMI applaud Ms. Meguerdichian's ef­forts at "Improving Self-Medicationin an HRF" (Jan./Feb. p.30), butperceive a strong authoritarian staffmodel of control in the tone of thearticle and program methodologies.

Unannounced monthly visits toquestion participants regarding theirknowledge, room inspection, warn­ing letters, and SMAC review do notconvey a belief in the residents' abil­ity to demonstrate responsibility.Rather than an integral part of themonthly program such controlsshould be limited to those partici­pants in whom validated observationand assessment identify abuse of thesystem or potential for abuse.

Appreciation is given to the staff'sconcern for liability and regulations,but system safeguards can still bemaintained along with promotingthe residents' dignity and respect.For instance, changing the formida­ble Rules for Self-Medication, whichplace all the demands on the residentin a negative format, to a contractualapproach which clearly identifies re­sponsibilities of both resident and

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