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Texas Lawmakers Hear Death Rates At State Institutions Are Not Unusual
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
April 2, 2007

AUSTIN, TEXAS--A Texas Senate panel heard last week that the number of deaths of people housed at state-run institutions -- 194 over an 18-month period -- was not unusual when compared to the death rates at similar facilities across the country.

Addie Horn, Commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services, reportedly told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that many residents with developmental disabilities are not expected to live as long as the general population because of chronic health issues.

Horn was testifying at a hearing that was called by lawmakers who were alarmed at the deaths, which came to light after the U.S. Department of Justice released a report last December. That federal report detailed what investigators said were "substantial departures" from generally accepted professional standards of care at Lubbock State School, a state-run institution which houses about 340 people with developmental and other disabilities.

Among other things, the report described a case in which one resident, who was supposed to be closely monitored, had died and was not discovered until several hours after rigor mortis had set in; the case of a man who died of aspiration pneumonia after staff fed him snacks before bedtime, even though he had a history of problems that caused him to inhale food; a woman who had open sores because she was left lying in urine-soaked diapers; and a large number of residents that had been bitten by other residents.

State lawmakers called for the hearing, saying they were worried that the abuse and neglect problems and 17 deaths at LSS were "systemic", potentially impacting the 5,000 Texans that live in 13 state-run facilities.

"I never believe the problems exist in isolation," said Senator Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from Laredo, who has introduced a measure that would provide information to people in institutions about how they can move into the community.

Disability rights advocates have been calling for Texas to close LSS and move its residents into community-based homes.

Related:
"Abuse reported at Lubbock school for retarded" (Dallas Morning News)

http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/07/red/0402b.htm
"Mental facilities' death count rises to 194" (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4667018.html
"Senators grill state official on deaths at institutions for people with mental retardation" (Austin American-Statesman)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/07/red/0402c.htm
"Local 'Coverage' Of Rally Mostly Ignores Rally" February 21, 2007 (Inclusion Daily Express)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/07/02/21/022107txlubbock.htm

Copyright © 2007 Inonit Publishing
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