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Senate Panel Visits Troubled Institution
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
May 23, 2008

BEATRICE, NEBRASKA--A delegation of state Senators took a tour this week of the Beatrice State Developmental Center, to try to figure out for themselves how conditions at the institution deteriorated to the point that the federal government threatened to cut off funding.

The Senate's Developmental Disabilities Special Investigative Committee visited BSDC Tuesday, and chatted with residents and staff.

Many said they were impressed with such things as the cleanliness of the facility.

"But what we're seeing here is the external," committee vice chairman John Harms told the Lincoln Journal Star. "Now we have to go into the internal. That's where the issues are going to be."

In a March 7 report, the U.S. Department of Justice cited numerous examples of abuse, neglect, overuse of restraints, documentation problems, poor medical care, and lack of follow-through when problems were found. Justice officials also revealed that, even though 90 percent of the residents had interdisciplinary team recommendations that they be allowed to move into the community, the state had only moved two people out between January and October 2007.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, 18 of the 21 people who have been moved from BSDC are now housed in nursing homes.

One thing the Senators found was that more than 100 jobs at the facility were still vacant.

"We have to dig into the details," explained Senator Harms. "We all know the devil is in the details."

Related:
"Senators get firsthand look at Beatrice center" (Lincoln Journal Star)

"Signs of short staff during tour of Beatrice center" (Omaha World-Herald)
Beatrice State Developmental Center (Inclusion Daily Express Archives)
http://www.InclusionDaily.com/news/institutions/neb/bsdc.htm

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