How Much Do We Really Care?

Legislation intended to prevent abuse and neglect of Texas' state school residents met with unanimous approval yesterday in the House Human Services Committee, which was headed up by Rep. Patrick Rose. The bill, which has already been picked apart by legislators, was considered "emergency" legislation to put a stop to a long-standing problem. It will soon seek full approval in the Texas' House. Preventative measures would include an abuse hotline, surveillance cameras and an on-campus ombudsman at 13 Texas campuses. Group homes would also have yearly on-sight surveys, and care workers would get additional training. Employees found to be abusive would be black-listed and banned for re-hire at these facilities. While Rep. Rose authored this particular safety bill, a similar bill was marked as a priority by Governor Perry and passed in the Senate last month. These bills followed a recent federal investigation into the conditions at these facilities. There is some speculation as to what Rose intends for the rest of the bill which would include overhauling "the system" and closing several state institutions over the next ten years.

It sounds like this legislation was overdue on many counts; however, it is difficult to ascertain the effect it will actually have on protecting the disabled. Certainly, abusive behavior needs to be quelled and employees who habitually abuse their cohorts or the residents they care for should be terminated. However, I feel that we're missing the mark when it comes to addressing the real problem in these facilities.

My little window into life at a state school came when I was doing my rotations in nursing school. I saw little winding roads on which you could only drive at 10 mph and walked from dorm… to cafeteria… to hair salon… to workshop as I followed residents throughout a typical "day" at the school. I thought it was neat how things were set up and how they had creative activities and crafts for the residents to work on...each to the best of his or her ability. For the most part, the caretakers were warm and friendly and appeared to really care about the well-being of the residents. While I'm not naive about the existence and extent of abuse at some of these facilities, I honestly can't think of a reason for someone to work there unless they cared about what they were doing.

I also saw an ugly side to life at the state school. I noticed that many of the residents were difficult to handle...having made it through childhood with unchecked social and behavioral problems. Some of the residents would grab or scratch you if you got too close or made them angry and they often started fighting each other. Some would also do things that were harmful to themselves. I realized that when you take a group of people with physical and mental disabilities and throw them together in close quarters, it tends to create a volatile environment. I personally would be afraid for my physical safety if I were to work in a place like that.

Furthermore, I noticed that some of the staff appeared to be over-worked, not well-supported and were probably under-paid. In situations like this, most humans have a hard time keeping their cool at all times. Sometimes the residents needed to be restrained for their own and others' safety and that is not usually a gentle process. Much like police officers, when they fear for their safety, state school caretakers sometimes get frightened and use more force than necessary to contain an escalating situation. Also, while neglect is unacceptable, it is not always preventable in a situation in which staff members are being grossly over-worked.

While oversight is appropriate in order to protect the disabled, I believe it would be more effective to put money towards hiring more quality care personnel, providing for their safety at work and paying a more competitive wage. In my opinion, supporting staff members and caring for their needs is the best way to increase the quality of care in state schools and group homes. Perhaps providing funds to expand the campus facilities would also bring some relief to difficult, congested conditions. So, as far as this particular piece of legislation is concerned, I think the most effective part of it is going to be the effort to strengthen the skills of caretakers with the additional training provided.