Report Finds Problems In Texas Elder Care Program
Investigators Examine 200 El Paso Cases
State investigators found in 35 percent of the cases, the investigation did not fully address all the allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
In 41 percent of the cases, appropriate action to prevent further abuse was not taken. In 57 percent of the cases considered severe, the client did not receive any more contact from a case worker.
"(The findings) frankly confirm that serious deficiencies exist in almost every aspect of the APS program," said Gregg Phillips, chairman of Texas' Health and Human Services Commission.
While some have described the report as shocking, people directly involved in the numerous cases of neglect and abuse say this report just confirms what they have known for years, reported KFOX-TV in El Paso.
Terry Hammond is the attorney for many of the cases.
"There will literally be millions of elderly and disabled people who will feel the effect of the work that has been done here, and that's remarkable," Hammond said.The investigation will now be taken statewide, where it is believed similar problems exist.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the review is a first step toward fixing the problems, but some families say their loved ones have already been changed forever.Elena Slape says the home of her uncle, 86-year-old Francisco Chapa, had no plumbing or gas and was filled with knee-high trash. Chapa is a decorated war veteran who lived in his station wagon for 10 years.
Slape said Chapa's life would have been much different had APS intervened when she called the state agency for help years ago.
"In our case, if this person had followed up, none of this would have happened," said Slape. "He is now 86 and has been under poor conditions in his home and his health. We are barely starting to take him to doctors and seeing that he has a place to sleep at night."
Read Preliminary ReportDistributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Three Disney employees are placed on paid leave pending the investigation into Sunday's fatal monorail crash, according to a Disney spokeswoman.
Days before Austin Wuennenberg was killed in a monorail crash at Disney, he helped make a 4-year-old boy's dream come true.
A clerk at a pizzeria cut himself and falsely reported an armed robbery to cover up his drug habit, sheriff's deputies say.
A former Central Florida middle school teacher who pleaded guilty to having sex with a student is sentenced to five years in jail.
Officials investigate the first fatal accident in the 38-year history of Walt Disney World's monorail.
Thousands flock to a small church in Limerick, Ireland, to pray at the stump of a recently cut tree that many believe looks like the Virgin Mary.
Since Michael Jackson died June 25, fans from around the world have expressed their grief in flowers, balloons, teddy bears, candles, pictures and handwritten notes left throughout the city.
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