Are Idaho's Certified Family Homes Safe?
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In an alarming article in the Seattle Times, Michael J. Berens reported that "over the past five years, at least 357 of the adult family homes in [Washington] have concealed cases of abuse or neglect of their residents. Many of those cases involved serious injury or death." Mr. Berens' report tells the story of Audrey Hopkins, "a stroke-and emphysema-hobbled 68-year-old who had lived in the TLC Adult Family Home for six months at the time of the March 2007" event where she was badly burned. It seems Ms. Hopkins was smoking a cigarette which set fire to the oxygen delivery system she was utilizing. The problem according to the article: Ms. Hopkins would have been physically incapable of lighting her own cigarette. Additionally, it was later discovered the staff had lied to investigators concerning how Ms. Hopkins obtained her cigarette, lit it, and the fact she was on oxygen at the time.
In Idaho, we have similar facilities known as "Certified Family Homes" which provide a family-styled living environment in which 2 or fewer adults live who are not able to reside in their own home and who require care, help in daily living, protection and security, supervision, personal assistance and encouragement toward independence. Residents of such "family homes" have many of the same rights as those who reside in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. These homes are regulated by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Let's hope the IDHW is doing a better job policing Idaho's certified family homes than the State of Washington is. You cannot count on that fact in these difficult economic times. It is up to you to research any facility to which you are going to trust your care or the care of a loved one.
