Another former Clarinda patient dies after closure of mental health institute

DES MOINES - Iowa's human resources director lauded progress Wednesday in the way the state will now deliver mental health services as news emerged that a third patient has died since being transferred from the Clarinda Mental Health Institute - one of two facilities the governor ordered closed this year as part of the transition.

An 80-year-old man suffering from serious mental illness who spent nine years at the Clarinda facility died last week after being taken a few months ago to Perry Health Care Center, the Des Moines Register first reported Wednesday.

In an investigation published this month, the newspaper revealed that eight of the 10 patients transferred from Clarinda were sent to nursing homes rated as 'below average” or 'much below average” in overall quality by a federal registry. Three have now died since then.

As the citizen-based Iowa Council on Human Services met Wednesday to hear an update of the state's mental health plans, Iowa Human Resources Director Charles Palmer offered condolences to the families of the patients who died. He said his staff was active in finding appropriate care for all patients who were moved out of the shuttered facilities.

The deaths added fuel for critics of Gov. Terry Branstad's plan to close antiquated state facilities and provide community care for the mentally ill.

'Iowa's mental health system is struggling to meet the needs of sick Iowans,” said a statement from one, Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City. 'Gov. Branstad's unilateral closure of much-needed services at mental health institutes in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant has made the system even more fragile and is resulting in premature deaths of some of our most vulnerable Iowans.”

Palmer said such political push back is inevitable, given the sweeping changes that the Branstad administration is making to mental health care delivery.

'The governor likes to say Iowans don't like change but they like progress,” Palmer said. 'Hopefully we're (making) progress.”

During the advisory group's meeting, Palmer gave an example of that progress - a newly implemented tracking system that tells officials how many psychiatric beds are available and where at any given time.

Palmer said the new tracking system, which started collecting data Aug. 1, will help illuminate any need for more psychiatric beds.

Family members and advocacy groups have decried a lack of beds for Iowans who find themselves in need of mental health treatment. Currently, there are roughly 700 beds across Iowa, state officials say.

'As I've watched the data begin to come in, I am questioning more and more the actual need” for more beds, Palmer said. 'I've tried to emphasize the continuum of specialized facilities and beds, but they may not be traditional adult psychiatric (facilities or beds). …

'I think it really gets into this discussion of which beds are we talking about, for whom, and do we have people that are being served in all those places that isn't the ideal location for them?”

Palmer said he is hopeful more preventive care will help reduce the need for psychiatric beds.

'They won't require inpatient treatment, and shouldn't, if we're doing a good job,” Palmer said.

Erin Murphy of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.