In previous posts about the closing of Somerset Place, we could only speculate about the relocation of the long-term patients. Today, the Tribune reported that a settlement may be reached to help relocate patients:"The agreement, expected to be filed Monday in federal court in Chicago, lays out a schedule for state officials to offer approximately 4,500 mentally ill nursing home residents the choice to move out of two dozen large facilities known as 'institutions for mental diseases,' or IMDs, and into smaller settings that experts say are more appropriate and less expensive."
"One of the state's most troubled IMDs, Somerset Place in Uptown, was shuttered Friday after Tribune reports and state and federal inspections documented a pattern of abuse, violence and substandard care."
Read the full article here.
I hope things work out for the patients.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad this isn't in the 46th Ward.....I can't imagine what the building would morph into.
'Meth Plaza', or the 'Fish Farm Inn' ?
Starck Mad:
ReplyDeleteHow do you know these community based programs will not be in the 46th? The state does not even have enough community placements to house the people already actively looking for this type of program. Now they expect to move more than 4,500 more people into this type of placement? They are going to need a LOT more of them and my guess is they are going to be putting up programs in many wards in the city where rent is the cheapest. My concern is who is going to supervise the programs, because if the state does not hire quality mental health professionals it will not end up being a step forward for mental health clients.
So they will move them out of inpatient institutions to concentrate them into Uptown, which simply functions as an open-air institution. The Uptown gangs and drug dealers will be lovin it - particularly those SSI disability checks.
ReplyDeleteOur Lawrence Avenue SSI office already fails its duty to assign representative payees to the approximately 40% of mentally ill persons who have co-existing substance abuse problems. Then there are those assigned Uptown rep payees who simply take their 10% cut (or illegally more) of the disabled persons' checks but fail to deliver any financial management services.
I don't see how the mentally ill will benefit when the Feds, the City and the State know that the community care model is already broken.
Pomeroy Apartments have about $18 million invested in them since 2003 and nobody apparently lives there. Most of that investment is from the Stimulus.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Pomeroy is equipped to handle the residents at Somerset, but the Feds are pouring millions into it.
It is very sad that so many continue to advocate only for the "community model" of treatment for the mentally ill. There is not a one size fits all model of treatment that will work with this population. Should more community options exist, absolutely. I hope the state does follow through with this promise. The state of IL has been promising more of these placements for the 9 years I have lived here.
ReplyDeleteHowever, many of the people living in nursing home placement are not currently safe to live in the community. Many not familiar with the treatment of this population underestimate the seriousness of their substance abuse and impulsive behavior. Many of these clients would have continued to be treated in State Hospitals if they still had space. This comes down to money and how much the state wants to spend on each disabled person. Mr. Zipple from Thresholds is constantly advocating for his community programs and wants more money to keep them running. But not all mentally ill clients are appropriate for them, just as not all clients should be placed in nursing home care. I think it is concerning when anyone advocates for any ONE treatment option, especially when they oversee the only option they feel is appropriate.
I have personally observed many clients return to the community who had worked hard to maintain stability in structured care models of treatment. Only to have them return to structured treatment soon afterwards when they destabilized. These issues are so much more complicated than any of the Tribune articles discuss. Not all nursing home placements are as poorly run or dangerous as those highlighted in the articles. Anyone wonder why the Trib continues to focus on the same Nursing Home Placements article after article?
Hey there UV, I can shed some light here. With all the cuts, newspapers are focused on the easy stories that get attention and don't require much indepth reporting because they don't have the money to get these stories written. The State reciprocates by feeding the press information to scapegoat one or two facilities so they can avoid the real issue of needing to overhaul the system. The press sees it as a win because they save money when they don'thave to rely on paying reporters too much. Somerset was a mess, but they highlight the symptom of the problem. They're not the problem. I'm still glad they closed because they were way over their heads.
ReplyDeleteThe current suggestion of giving the mentally ill the option of living more indepently was given while the state knew full well that they couldn't pull it off.
Brennan brings up an interesting point. Just as the Pomeroy, the Feds are also putting in $19 million into the Kenmore Apartments at 5040 N. Kenmore which the community was told would be "Section 8 Senior Living." Right now, they have gutted the building and are building it out from 135 apartments to 100 senior living apartments. Please tell me there is NO chance that the mentally ill from Somerset could be relocated to either Pomeroy or Kenmore when they are set to open in the Fall 2010. I would hope there are some checks and balances in place to ensure these facilities stay true to their causes as "senior living." In meeting with the Police in my area, they are very concerned with these two CHA dwellings set to open at the same time because these locations are already gang proned without these buildings being populated. I am gearing up for what this means for the community.
ReplyDeleteKCP, the elderly who qualify to live there are not required to have any history of employment. My hunch is that it won't be filled with stay-at-home housewives.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, would anyone happen to know the vacancy rate of senior CHA apartments in the area?