Justice Department Urges Judge to Hold District in Contempt for Incompetence
Some times the incompetence of the District government is frustrating, other times its almost comical, and then there are times where the incompetence is disgusting. Today's story in The Washington Post, detailing the District's "inexcusable lapses in care" for disabled ward's of the city, falls under the category of disgusting incompetence.
Sadly, this over-funded, bloated bureaucracy is totally incapable of protecting the most vulnerable trapped in its care:
Newly filed court papers give vivid and startling details about the extent of abuse -- from severe scaldings to fatal starvation -- that mentally and physically disabled residents have endured in some of the District's group homes.
Emily, 60, who liked movies, shopping and piling mountains of stuffed animals on her bed, weighed only 50 pounds when she died in 2004, the Justice Department wrote in a court filing last week, warning that hers was not an isolated case.
Caregivers effused about Mike's love of eating out, watching sports and going for walks. The same caregivers stood by as his weight dropped precipitously, according to court papers, and he suffered anemia, gangrene of the stomach and organ failure. He slipped into a coma, then died last year at age 41.
At his group home, Jake, 52, had periodic problems with diarrhea for 10 months before his death last year, and none of his caregivers increased his fluids or changed his diet, the Justice Department said.
Matthew died at age 43. He loved eating out, going on trips and watching sports. Like the others, he was chronically underweight and, like the others, was not given proper attention, the Justice Department said. He died a month and a half after his housemate, Emily, dropped to her fatal 50 pounds.
Each of these people was a mentally disabled ward of the District who died in the past two years after inexcusable lapses in care, the Justice Department said, urging a judge to hold the District in contempt of court for not meeting repeated promises of reform. Other mentally and physically disabled residents of group homes were beaten, berated, sexually accosted, neglected or targeted for theft, Justice lawyers said.
Read that last sentence again, and remember your tax dollar is paying for this - "Other mentally and physically disabled residents of group homes were beaten, berated, sexually accosted, neglected or targeted for theft, Justice lawyers said."
Plaintiffs in the suit against the District are are asking for a court-ordered takeover of the District agency in charge of caring for the 2,000 mentally and physically disabled residents in its care.
More:
"How many more deaths do we have to have?" asked Sandy Bernstein, legal director for University Legal Services. "These are not complicated problems: weight loss, bowel issues, hydration. These are issues any caretaker should be able to address."
Not surprisingly District politicians pledged to fix the problem YEARS ago:
Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) pledged six years ago to fix the homes after a Washington Post series disclosed 350 documented cases of abuse and neglect in group homes. Vincent Morris, a spokesman for the mayor, said Williams is trying to improve care and denounced the D.C. Council's recent cut in the agency's budget, saying it would make a court takeover more likely.
Seriously, what will it take for residents of this District to say no more to this city's incompetent government?
Sadly, this over-funded, bloated bureaucracy is totally incapable of protecting the most vulnerable trapped in its care:
Newly filed court papers give vivid and startling details about the extent of abuse -- from severe scaldings to fatal starvation -- that mentally and physically disabled residents have endured in some of the District's group homes.
Emily, 60, who liked movies, shopping and piling mountains of stuffed animals on her bed, weighed only 50 pounds when she died in 2004, the Justice Department wrote in a court filing last week, warning that hers was not an isolated case.
Caregivers effused about Mike's love of eating out, watching sports and going for walks. The same caregivers stood by as his weight dropped precipitously, according to court papers, and he suffered anemia, gangrene of the stomach and organ failure. He slipped into a coma, then died last year at age 41.
At his group home, Jake, 52, had periodic problems with diarrhea for 10 months before his death last year, and none of his caregivers increased his fluids or changed his diet, the Justice Department said.
Matthew died at age 43. He loved eating out, going on trips and watching sports. Like the others, he was chronically underweight and, like the others, was not given proper attention, the Justice Department said. He died a month and a half after his housemate, Emily, dropped to her fatal 50 pounds.
Each of these people was a mentally disabled ward of the District who died in the past two years after inexcusable lapses in care, the Justice Department said, urging a judge to hold the District in contempt of court for not meeting repeated promises of reform. Other mentally and physically disabled residents of group homes were beaten, berated, sexually accosted, neglected or targeted for theft, Justice lawyers said.
Read that last sentence again, and remember your tax dollar is paying for this - "Other mentally and physically disabled residents of group homes were beaten, berated, sexually accosted, neglected or targeted for theft, Justice lawyers said."
Plaintiffs in the suit against the District are are asking for a court-ordered takeover of the District agency in charge of caring for the 2,000 mentally and physically disabled residents in its care.
More:
"How many more deaths do we have to have?" asked Sandy Bernstein, legal director for University Legal Services. "These are not complicated problems: weight loss, bowel issues, hydration. These are issues any caretaker should be able to address."
Not surprisingly District politicians pledged to fix the problem YEARS ago:
Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) pledged six years ago to fix the homes after a Washington Post series disclosed 350 documented cases of abuse and neglect in group homes. Vincent Morris, a spokesman for the mayor, said Williams is trying to improve care and denounced the D.C. Council's recent cut in the agency's budget, saying it would make a court takeover more likely.
Seriously, what will it take for residents of this District to say no more to this city's incompetent government?
posted by ChrisBarronDC at 5:34 AM
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