The shameful details
Monday, Jul 16, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Belleville News-Democrat is drilling down into the details of those whose deaths were not investigated because the Department of Human Services had ruled that they were no longer eligible for services. Beware: This is sickening stuff…
Rajubhai Desai was sick.
His kidneys had stopped working because of severe diabetes. He spent hours each week hooked up to a machine that filtered toxins from his blood.
But it was a foot bath that killed him.
On March 12, 2007, the 59-year-old Desai went to South Suburban Hospital near Chicago because he was bleeding at a stent in his arm used to connect him to a dialysis machine. He returned home about 2 p.m.
His regular home health-care worker showed up a couple hours later. The worker gave Desai a sponge bath, then put his patient’s feet into a tub of water to clean off dried blood that had dripped from the stent, according to a police investigation report.
Desai’s wife, Deuyaniben, went to make tea. When she returned she found her husband’s feet were bleeding and the skin was peeling away.
Desai had slumped into a chair, unconscious.
As a severe diabetic, he had lost the ability in his feet to discern hot or cold and had left his feet in what a medical examiner would eventually rule was scalding hot water.
The caregiver wrapped Desai’s feet in a towel, put him on the bed and took the medical treatment sheet — normally left at the house — with him.
He told Desai’s wife that her husband would be OK and if he’s wasn’t to call 911.
“He just left,” said Sid Desai, the couple’s son. “He didn’t even call his supervisor.”
Mr. Desai died not long after and there was no state investigation…
The [Office of the Inspector General for the Illinois Department of Human Services] ruled that because Desai died soon after the alleged neglect, he was “ineligible for services.”
That meant it did not investigate whether he died because of neglect or abuse.
* Another one…
Margie Wade lay face down, her right arm crooked under her cheek. She was too weak to lift her head.
Wade wore only a shirt. Her legs were straight out and pressed together. Her eyes were open, glazed and unblinking. She could no longer feel the roaches that crawled over her in the bedroom of her stifling home.
After at least a year without medical care, and suffering from months of neglect, the 59-year-old woman’s body was so rigid it appeared to a 911 medical response team that rigor mortis had set in, according to a police report.
Medics Lillian McKinney, Teresa Reeves and Theresa Chambers thought Wade surely must be dead. The women fought not to vomit from the stench of human feces that had caused two first responders to flee the room — a firefighter who bent over and gagged on the front lawn and a cop who ran out the back door shouting, “It would be better if she was dead.”
McKinney brushed at roaches, sending them scurrying. Some hid in Wade’s hair. The medic prodded Wade’s cool skin with a pinlike device, a standard method to determine whether a person can react to pain. There was no reaction. She couldn’t find a pulse.
Chambers picked up the folding cot she brought to carry Wade and, stepping over garbage and trash, started to make her way back to the ambulance to get a body bag. She stopped when Reeves shouted, “Don’t leave with the cot. She’s breathing!”
‘Stinks in there’
It was May 27, 2003. Margie’s husband, Leonard D. Wade, called 911 because he thought his wife was dying.
Reports from the ambulance attendants and police were detailed. Witnesses said she was neglected by her husband, who refused to call for medical treatment and often left her in the care of a severely mentally impaired daughter. He told a neighbor he didn’t want a big hospital bill.
The details of the four months Margie Wade endured in the bedroom, often unattended for days at a time, unable to move, were available to investigators. But investigators for the Office of the Inspector General for the Illinois Department of Human Services closed the case on that same day — just hours after Wade died in the Hillsboro Area Hospital intensive care unit and three hours after the agency learned from an emergency room nurse’s call to its own hotline that Wade was suspected of having been neglected and abused.
* I do not believe I’ve ever said this before, and I don’t believe I’ve ever even thought this before, but today I’m ashamed to be an Illinoisan.
The DHS Inspector General has resigned. We need to know the names of everyone - everyone - who was behind this monstrously stupid decision to not investigate these deaths. This should not be papered over. A single resignation will simply not suffice. We, as a state, owe it to the dead and to the survivors to find the whole truth.
- Curious - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 1:46 pm:
This story has been almost completely overlooked up here in the Chicago media market. Hope that changes soon.
- Stooges - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 1:52 pm:
Quinn needs to jump on this group with both feet and heads should already be rolling. Something tells me there are many, many cases like these.
- Kerfuffle - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
This policy was/is so incredibly stupid. The IG did not set this policy on his own. You are correct in that a full investigation is warranted and those responsible for setting and administering this policy should be terminated from service.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:06 pm:
It’s out of Kafka — “dead so ineligible for services.”
But it still doesn’t make any sense — wasn’t there follow-up by first responders or cororners or the medical examiner? Were they just shipping these folks to the crematorium?
- Wensicia - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:10 pm:
I’m not ashamed to be an Illinois citizen. I am ashamed our elected officials, starting at the top with Quinn, care so little about the severely disabled and medically impaired they have to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing.
Instead of criticizing the few brave reporters and families trying to find justice, why doesn’t the state lead in incidents like this?
And where are the major media outlets on this subject? Oh, yeah, they’re tied up in the criticism of lazy teachers or other state workers trying to preserve the services the severe and profound are losing.
- WazUp - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:20 pm:
Where’s the outrage from the “peoples governor?” I don’t care if one person got fired he should be livid and overhauling a broken system.
- geronimo - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:27 pm:
This is vile and disgusting to be sure. But the powers that be don’t care about people who can’t make campaign contributions or serve on high powered corporate committees. This is where we’re going in this state. Has no one noticed?
- Crime Fighter - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:31 pm:
Our elected officials care so little about doing the right thing situation because it doesn’t pay. This cascades down through the (mis)management and the malfeasance that occurs at the director and deputy director of the Governor’s agencies. Our policymakers should also reconsider confirming and appointing ethically-troubled agency directors. This renders the state incapable of leading to correct these and other failures.
Wensicia has a good point, groups like the BGA, tribbies, and others criticize rank and file workers but treat management as beyond question.
- Really? - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:36 pm:
In the Margie Wade case, shouldn’t members of thee 911 response team on the scene ALSO have a level of responsiblity in reporting these cases to their supervisors, who should then resolve them?
- InTheMiddle - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:37 pm:
What did the Coroners do when theg examined the bodies?
- Just a Citizen - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:55 pm:
Absolutely disgusting. If these further details don’t prompt more action, then nothing will.
- titan - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 2:57 pm:
IF there are good staffers there…I hope they were whistleblowing loudly
- cassandra - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:02 pm:
Is the state’s home care program accredited through a national organization. Accreditation is a good way of trying to ensure that human service agencies (as well as hospitals, police departments, and so on) have the right procedures in place and that they conform with current best practices. If they are already accredited, of course, they should be put on probation (as I believe DCFS was recently after their contracting scandal) until the problem is fixed. And if they are not accredited, they should be, even though the process is labor intensive.
Meanwhile, if accurate, I am still surprised that one individual, the OIG, would have the unilateral authority to make this no-investigation policy. That’s a big flaw in itself, but not necessarily Quinn or Saddler’s fault. It could have been in effect for decades. We need inspectors general. But they should not have unlimited discretion.
- accountability, please - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:03 pm:
Don’t forget this:
“OIG Director William M. Davis, a retired Illinois State Police regional commander, initially agreed to an interview, but [DHS spokeswoman Januari Smith-Trader] later said that neither Davis nor his boss, Department of Human Services Secretary Michelle R. B. Saddler, were available.
“In subsequent emails, Smith-Trader accused a reporter of possibly breaking state and federal privacy laws by being in possession of private case summaries not open to the public.”
Why does Januari Smith still have a job? As soon as that first reporter’s call came in, Director Saddler should have jumped on this and started the “heads rolling” process. Instead, Januari tried to threaten and stonewall. It makes me sick.
- Crime Fighter - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:14 pm:
@ titan - Whistleblowers need to be careful. At least one IG (OEIG) has the policy of not protecting whistleblowers when laws have been violated outside of ethics rules.
If the Governor and his agency directors fire a whistleblower in retaliation,(and they will) the whistleblower will have to fight the offending agency along with the the Illinois Attorney to get their job back. Speaking from experience, if you plan on blowing the whistle against this administration, you better be ready to be paying a lawyer while your out of a job.
- Truthteller - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:17 pm:
Where in the world were Equipped for Equality and Access Living who jump on the least little abuse in state facilities?
Is this the kind of treatment in store for Jacksonville residents? Remember the Quinn Administration was advertising on Craig’s List for bodies to take care of individuals after their discharge from JDC.
- Hold on a minute - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:18 pm:
accountability, are you really blaming the spokesperson for this? Ever heard of the phrase “Don’t shoot the messenger” before? Come on. I understand the anger but I don’t understand why you’d direct it at a spokesperson.
- haverford - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:20 pm:
Not sure that’s fair, Accountability, Please.
While it is unquestionably good that these reports are out and the issue is finally being investigated, there are HIPAA laws that prevent disclosure of medical information. If the reporters published records that hadn’t been blacked out so as to protect privacy, they could be in serious trouble.
(Not to mention that it’s rarely the spokesperson making these kinds of policy calls. Smith-Trader is just the face of it. Lucky her.)
- Sunshine - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:36 pm:
Everyone in the chain of command should be fired, all the way down to anyone who knew of this and did not report it. The local State Representatives should be investigated as well as the Coroner and DHS investigators themselves.
This is despicable and must never be tolerated, never.
- Langhorne - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:38 pm:
Finally, the outrage that this deserves is building.
- dr. reason a. goodwin - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 3:39 pm:
Kudos to the Belleville News Democrat for continuing excellent journalism. Their work on this story and the workmen’s compensation system shows that you don’t have to be a big city paper to break these kinds of stories.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 4:01 pm:
I think a crime has been committed by OIG officials. From the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
” (5 ILCS 312/7-104) (from Ch. 102, par. 207-104)
Sec. 7-104. Official Misconduct Defined. The term “official misconduct” generally means the wrongful exercise of a power or the wrongful performance of a duty and is fully defined in Section 33-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961. The term “wrongful” as used in the definition of official misconduct means unauthorized, unlawful, abusive, negligent, reckless, or injurious.
(Source: P.A. 85-293.)
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 4:26 pm:
Wow, this is really shameful, a lot like the situation with DCFS before the feds made us change. Societies are judged by how they treat their most weak and vulnerable members. This is what failure looks like.
Kudos to tbe B N-D for breaking this story and not letting up.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 4:27 pm:
–“In subsequent emails, Smith-Trader accused a reporter of possibly breaking state and federal privacy laws by being in possession of private case summaries not open to the public.”–
I’m sure the BND would be happy to meet Ms. Smith-Trader in open court, under oath and discuss the issues involved before a judge and the public. Perhaps she could arrange that.
- mokenavince - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 4:32 pm:
What does it take to wake this department up.Illinois is like a 3rd world country.
If we can’t help our own who can we help?
- just an ordinary lawyer - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 4:37 pm:
The lack of responsibility shown by all the parties involved here is shameful. But please let’s not place the blame on just one agency. Many of the first responders are mandatory reporters, yet no reports were made. My god, just being a decent human being dictates you call the police. With that said, OIG seems to be out of compliance with their own mandate. 20 ILCS 2435/25(f) says in part: (f) The Office of Inspector General shall refer evidence of crimes against an adult with disabilities to the appropriate law enforcement agency according to Office of Inspector General policies. A referral to law enforcement may be made at any time. When the Office of Inspector General has reason to believe that the death of an adult with disabilities may be the result of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, the Office of Inspector General shall immediately report the matter to the coroner or medical examiner and shall cooperate fully with any subsequent investigation.
- Quinn T. Sential - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 5:16 pm:
How about the absence of the Attorney General’s office in this equation?
Hard to believe a good press pop opportunity of pursuing all of this was completely missed.
- sal-says - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 5:26 pm:
BND: “Founded: 1858. In 1883, the Weekly Democrat merged with the Belleville News to become the Belleville News-Democrat. Since its founding, the newspaper has had a succession of owners. It was a family-owned newspaper from 1891 to 1972, until its purchase by Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. Knight Ridder acquired the newspaper in 1997. McClatchy acquired the newspaper in 2006 with its purchase of Knight Ridder.”
Love their ability to get info; too bad some other IL print media aren’t as good/interested/involved. That they still have staff, can dig & report is commendable beyond words.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 5:28 pm:
Anyone who worked with Davis at the ISP is not surprised by this. He was a tool then and he is a tool now…
- Skirmisher - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 5:43 pm:
Quinn won’t make any more than token action. There are way too many patronage types over in that agency. This state is disgusting. Politics trumps every virtue.
- Crime Fighter - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 5:58 pm:
QTS - The Attorney General typically shows up to defend the Governor and his offending agency. So if there are legal actions - she defends the wrongdoers. The AG is the attorney of record for DHS, Saddler, and other agencies.
- Leave a light on George - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 6:06 pm:
Anon @ 4:01 was me.
“Many of the first responders are mandatory reporters…” In the original article it told of a MD and a Fire Department Captain responding to dirreent cases. Yes, they are mandatory reporters. They repoted it via the “hotline” to the responsible agency (while the victim was still alive of course)!! The MD called 10 or 11 times.
- Quinn T. Sential - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 6:17 pm:
{Anyone who worked with Davis at the ISP is not surprised by this. He was a tool then and he is a tool now}
Inappropriate or excessively rabid comments, gratuitous insults and “rumors” will be deleted or held for moderation. Profanity is absolutely not acceptable in any form. “Sock puppetry” is forbidden. All violators risk permanent banishment without warning and may be blocked from accessing this site. Also, please try to be a little bit original.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 6:31 pm:
“Former colleagues of Cmdr. Davis at the Illinois State Police, who requested anonymity, expressed concerns about Davis’ competence while at the ISP and in his role as DHS’ IG. ”
Is that better, QTS?
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 6:38 pm:
Oh, that anon post was not AA.
To the subject, a thorough housecleaning is in order, up to and including the Goobernor that hired or allowed these knuckleheads to stay in these kind of positions.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 7:16 pm:
=But it still doesn’t make any sense — wasn’t there follow-up by first responders or cororners or the medical examiner?=
I complained about something related quite sometime ago within the context of visas. According to a few sources from all across the country, the US overall has been having a hard time recruiting good people as MEs and coroners and it’s been affecting investigations from all perspectives.
Sure, there’s poitics at play to some degree, but alot of the research I did indicates that very few want the jobs, especially those positions that require a medical degree because they are low-paying and obviously, tough.
Instead of giving our high-tech jobs away to Visa workers, why can’t we use some Visas to bring in some help in this area?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 7:19 pm:
Oh, that’s right. Corporations couldn’t care less about this problem, especially when they can’t find a single “high-tech” resource in this entire Country.
- FreeIllinois - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 8:25 pm:
This kind of neflectful government isn’t isolated. I am just surprised it’s taken you THIS LONG to feel shame.
The biggest problem is the Illinois Legislature, and that problem comes from the state Constitutution. It’s time for state Constitutional Convention and change the way the legislature operates.
We start changing how people get jobs, (by changing the constitution) and we’ll clean a lot of this mess up.
- Quill - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 8:48 pm:
Do any of you recall the people who ran DHS under Blagojevich? Whose legendary incompetence ravaged the community service infrastructure that Quinn/Saddler must now wrassle with? We have a human services system struggling with a mind-blowing legacy of neglect and failure of investment. Legislators need to get pension funding fixed so we can address this problem in a real way. It will never happen till pensions are reformed. General Assembly, General Assembly, calling on you in Aisle 6 of the damned…
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 9:36 pm:
dhs is broken from the top to bottom. Appointees who don,t give a care at the top and local administrators that are simply globally incompetent. Their response to this will be shut up and finish your ethics test. Springfield is waiting for the results and everyone has to pass
- Just Me - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 10:13 pm:
Every one of these stories is a negative campaign commercial that writes itself.
- Sam - Monday, Jul 16, 12 @ 10:39 pm:
The BND story is well reported. Kudos to the reporters.
But there are still dots to be connected between this story and this story:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-09-03/news/0909021191_1_caregivers-organized-labor-union-dues
And then connecting it to this ongoing situation..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxmHPfH8wfg&feature=player_embedded
Pay attention to the 1:20 and 2:20 minute marks for the connection.
Hopefully these excellent journalists will continue to dig. They are doing the people of Illinois an invaluable service.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 4:40 am:
Quil: You are to something here. The GA is not totally to blame, but for far too long, the GA has used the DHS budget as their favorite “piggy bank”. Need a little something for the folks back home, take it out of the DHS budget. At the same time they gut their budgets and then rail on DHS during hearings about their shortcomings. So GA members, you proud of what you have done? And look what the House just did to DCFS, I’m not sure how some members look at themselves in the mirror.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 4:58 am:
Appalling, Rich.
- My brother's keeper - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 5:45 am:
The Governor and DHS officials have implemented a dangerous and wreckless plan to close SODCs which serve as a safety net for individuals with severe developental disabilities. One action the Governor should take would be to rescind his decision to close JDC and Murray. Untile there is a safe alternative for these facilities it is irresposible to close the.
- Quill - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 8:17 am:
Those who are commenting that this situation should serve as an impetus to keep JDC and Murray open would do well to observe that those transitioning out are not headed into homes where they are by themselves. Rather, they are transitioning into CILAs (group homes). The Belleville stories focus on people who are living in their own homes. Apples and oranges. Which is not to say that yes, group homes need resources and training to provide safe, affirming environments for their residents. SODCs are still not the answer, either in a civil rights, humanitarian or fiscal sense.
- chris robling - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 10:36 am:
i sn’t the relevant question here, once DHS found out what this “caregiver” did, was the matter turned over to local law enforcement? i don’t think anyone here means to say that DHS can or should start investigating crimes such as this, right?
- for real - Tuesday, Jul 17, 12 @ 2:51 pm:
Quill : DHS iIS wanting JDC residents to go to foster homes and anything less than 4 beds. Foster and 3 bed and under will fly under the radar. Remember that the community homes that are licensed doesn’t have room and also will not take the high maintenance residents. So what does that leave?