Boarding homes face registration deadlines

DES MOINES – State officials unveiled a new Web site Tuesday where Iowa boarding home operators will soon be allowed to register, a new requirement passed by lawmakers last year.

The requirement was put in place after 21 men with mental retardation were found living in substandard conditions at a boarding home in Atalissa.

The men were removed from a home with boarded up windows and no central heating system. Henry's Turkey Service, the men's employer, operated the home for decades, providing the men with room and board in exchange for a portion of their wages. Some of the men were found to be malnourished when they moved out of the home.

Lawmakers took action to try to prevent similar situations from happening again, passing the boarding home registration requirement and other reforms.

The new registration process is expected to give state officials an idea of how many boarding homes are operating in Iowa and what types of people they are serving.

Those required to register are homes proving rooms to three or more people who are not close relatives and depend upon others to provide activities of daily living such as meals, bathing or the administration of medication.

“We wish to promote home and community-based services, home and community-based living, but we want to do that in the context of a safe environment for these folks,” said Dean Learner, director of the state's Department of Inspections and Appeals.

Boarding home operators will be required to provide information through the Web site or a paper filing by March 1. That information includes such details as occupancy and whether people who reside there require assistance or supervision to prevent an accident or ensure their health, safety and welfare.

The Web site is expected to be available to the public in the coming weeks.

Homes are not included in the registration requirement if they already are subject to licensure by DIA or regulation by the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Officials walked a state task force on dependent adults with mental retardation through the online registration process for boarding homes Tuesday.

John McCalley, who is leading the task force, said registration will be easy for boarding homes and will not cost them money. The data gathered through the registration will help officials know the prevalence of the use of boarding homes throughout the state.

“The registration process is going to be our No. 1 tactic for gathering that information,” McCalley said.

State Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, said the data could help shape new policies or laws regarding boarding homes and help lawmakers know where there are gaps in services they need to address.

“I think any additional data is good data to have,” Heddens said.

The information also can help family members know more about the homes where their loved ones are living, she said.

“They want to know that their family member is secure and well-taken care of,” Heddens said.