Men in Atalissa case doing better, official says

DES MOINES – A state official gave an encouraging report Tuesday on the 21 men with mental retardation who were removed last year from a bunkhouse in Atalissa, living in what has been described as deplorable conditions.

The bunkhouse had boarded up windows and no central heating system and was operated by Henry's Turkey Service, the men's employer.

The company operated the home, providing the men room and board in exchange for a large portion of their wages, which are now the subject of labor violations leveled against Henry's Turkey Service.

Some of the men were found to be malnourished when they were moved out of the home. Iowa Department of Human Services Director Charles Krogmeier said the men are in a lot better shape than they were last year.

Twelve of the men are now living in permanent housing with roommates, mostly in the Waterloo area, with services provided to them by Exceptional Persons Inc.

Three of them live in larger group home settings with an average of 10 roommates.

The men have received physicals and some are receiving mental health counseling, Krogmeier said.

Many of the men are still taking classes or learning to do things such as use a cell phone or get around on public transportation, Krogmeier said.

“They're living fairly independently; they seem to be enjoying the independence that they have,” Krogmeier said.

All of the men remaining in Iowa have legal guardians, and about half the men still living in Iowa have regular contact with their families out of state, Krogmeier said.

Three of the men have chosen not to be employed and consider themselves retired, Krogmeier said. The rest are in some type of employment, are participating in job search activities or have been referred to Goodwill.

Six have left Iowa and been placed with family or service providers.

“They all seem to be doing well,” Krogmeier said.

Krogmeier gave his report to the Governor's Task Force on Dependent Adults with Mental Retardation, which was formed in the wake of the men's removal from the Atalissa bunkhouse.

Some Iowa boarding homes now face a registration requirement as a result of the Atalissa case.

Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals officials said Tuesday 44 boarding homes throughout the state have registered, representing a maximum occupancy of more than 1,300. Reports showed 1,153 residents were actually living in these homes.

The homes that registered were located in 19 of Iowa's 99 counties. Black Hawk County had the most, with six registered boarding homes. Some of the cities where boarding homes registered included Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Inwood, Northwood and DeWitt.

Department of Inspections and Appeals Director Dean Lerner expressed concerns Tuesday about some assisted living facilities that are “decertifying” or choosing not to be certified by the state by separating their services and housing functions. One way they can do that is by creating a corporate entity providing services, or allowing someone else to provide services.

That would mean they would no longer have to comply with state assisted living standards. One of those facilities has registered as a boarding home.

Lerner said discussions already have begun to try to close the assisted living loophole.