From the Chicago Tribune:

Disability rights advocates and union officials say Illinois state health officials are expected to announce the closing of two troubled state institutions in Tinley Park on Friday: The Howe Developmental Center and the Mental Health Center.

Controversy has swirled around the institutions for years, with advocates citing substandard care and neglect for adults with disabilities. Equip for Equality, the federally mandated watchdog for disabled-care facilities, has alleged that 21 patient deaths at Howe since 2005 resulted from misconduct and neglect.

Similar allegations led the federal government to rescind the institution’s Medicaid certification last year, stripping it of $30 million in funding and triggering an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The state chose to offset the loss of federal funding and contribute $60 million to keep Howe open.

See previous article here.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 6:14 am and is filed under housing, institutionalization, intellectual/developmental disabilities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.