Summit needed on vulnerable Iowans

By The Des Moines Register

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Gov. Terry Branstad should convene another summit. It wouldn't be about education this time. It would be about taking care of vulnerable people. Iowa needs to have a high-profile, statewide conversation about how to better protect disabled people living in facilities. After the summit, the governor should outline a legislative plan for improvements.

Iowa has twice as many people living in institutions as the national average. But these aren't only the thousands of seniors in nursing homes and assisted living centers. There are many younger Iowans in residential care facilities. They may have mental illness or mental retardation. They may be unemployed or hold a job but need some support with daily life. Iowa's 188 residential care facilities generally look like every other single-family dwelling in a neighborhood.

The state is supposed to provide some oversight of them. But it isn't doing all it should.

Recently, the Register reported the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals waited 23 days to respond to a complaint that a disabled resident was sexually abused by a fellow resident at Parkview Cottage in Albia. Twenty-three days. The woman who was allegedly victimized communicates only through hand claps and the few words she can articulate.

As troubling as the allegations and the delay in responding: It apparently took an inquiry from this newspaper to prompt an investigation. After two complaints resulted in no action, a Register reporter called the state. An inspector visited the home the next day.

How many other complaints in how many types of facilities are not being acted upon? How long are residents waiting for help? Are Iowans supposed to call the media to get someone to take concerns seriously? Why is a woman with such a profound disability living in a home that obviously can't protect her?

And what do Branstad and Department of Inspections and Appeals director Rod Roberts have to say about all this?

Two years ago, a state inspector visited residential care facilities at least once every 30 months. Arguably that is too lax, but at least it was something. Last year lawmakers placed a one-year moratorium on the inspections to save money. This year they extended that moratorium.

State regulations require inspectors to respond within two days “for a complaint determined by the department or committee to be an alleged immediate jeopardy situation” in a residential care facility like Parkview Cottage.

Roberts' agency apparently did not think a woman being sexually assaulted in her home was serious enough to warrant a quick response. Or they don't have the staff to do so. Or the agency is simply disregarding the law.

Roberts' predecessor, Dean Lerner, said his agency responded to serious complaints in all health facilities within a few days under Gov. Chet Culver.

“Twenty-three days is unacceptable,” Lerner said.

Also unacceptable is the worker at Parkview Cottage who complained about the incident being fired - because right now it looks as though reporting abuse means not only being ignored by the state but also losing your job. That means workers, the very people who look out for the disabled, will fear blowing the whistle on wrongdoing.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has a huge responsibility: overseeing more than 1,000 facilities that include nursing homes, assisted living centers, residential care facilities, intermediate care facilities, elder group homes and adult day service centers.

The governor should convene a summit to take a comprehensive look at these facilities because there is a hodge-podge of regulations and laws that apply to some but not to others.

Iowa needs to examine how well we are caring for our most vulnerable citizens. Are more regulations needed for some facilities and fewer rules for others? Are more resources needed?

We need to be as focused on protecting the vulnerable as we are on educating children.

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