Saturday, August 1, 2009

Tara's Law

A bill designed to protect individuals with developmental disabilities who are living in community care residences has been introduced by 12th District legislators.

Sen. Jennifer Beck and Assembly members Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande hosted a press conference July 21 at their office in Red Bank to announce the introduction of Tara's Law.

Tara's Law would require written monthly case manager reports about individuals with developmental disabilities who are residing in community care residences and would establish a registry of offending community care residence providers.

O'Scanlon: "This law will strengthen the accountability of monitors. People at every level will be responsible for reporting abuse. People will be held personally responsible."

The creation of the law was inspired by the tragic death of 29-year-old Tara O'Leary, a developmentally disabled woman who despite her family's best efforts to gain custody of her, remained in the care of the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), which placed her in a setting where she is believed to have been maltreated and neglected. She subsequently died in November 2008, weighing 49 pounds, according to a press release from the 12th District legislators.

Full Article and Source:
Tara's Law to give 'voice to the voiceless'

See also:
Tara's Law - Legislation

9 comments:

LoriView said...

Where's the damn government supervision when a 29-year-old woman dies weighing 49 pounds?

Anonymous said...

A bill to protect adults with special needs or developmental disabilities is very much needed.

The thing is, they've got to follow through. And who is going to monitor to make sure they do?

Anonymous said...

It is disgusting that someone has to suffer and then die so a few scumbags can use her as a cash cow. Why should a family have to fight to get guardianship for a loved one?

Anonymous said...

I hope Tara's Law does exactly what they're saying - giving a voice to the voiceless.

I am so sorry, Tara's family, for what your daughter suffered. So very sorry.

Anonymous said...

It makes me sick to read what happened to Tara O'Leary. Another story of a family struggling to protect their loved one, only to be rendered helpless by an uncaring and possibly corrupt system.

Anonymous said...

Was anyone held accountable for the unnecessary and torturous death of Tara O'Leary?

Anonymous said...

I hope Tara's family is suing the nursing home and the guardian for the death of their daughter.

Anonymous said...

49 pounds? I cannot imagine and I don't want to know how this woman suffered and for how long it took her to die because I would be having nightmares. Applause to those who worked at getting Tara's law passed, a step in the right direction.

Anonymous said...

Families also need a place to complain to -- written reports are a beginning, but nursing homes (and I bet group homes as well) are known to falsify records.

There needs to be a place where human beings can talk to human beings and complain.