Thursday, June 5, 2014

Lawmaker promises fix after KXAN uncovers flawed elder abuse investigation




AUSTIN (KXAN) - A Texas lawmaker saw our investigation that exposed alleged sexual assaults at an Austin assisted living center and the state's admitted failure in investigating the incidents. He now guarantees action to help better protect your aging loved ones.

Also because of our investigation the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services finally reported the incidents to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. That report comes more than two years after the incidents and the day after our investigation first aired on May 19th.

“I think that’s a major failure,” said State Representative Elliott Naishtat.

Representative Naishtat, who is the vice-chairman of the House Public Health Committee, said he never again wants to find out the state did not do its job investigating allegations of elderly abuse.

“This is something which I will be working with DADS, the Department of Aging and Disability Services, and the commission (Texas Health and Human Services Commission) to make sure that they know this is unacceptable,” said Representative Naishtat, who was appalled by what KXAN uncovered.

Our investigation uncovered a lawsuit alleging an elderly woman was sexually assaulted by a male resident at Longhorn Village, which was established by the University of Texas alumni association, Texas Exes. According to the lawsuit, filed by the woman’s legal guardian and her family, there is no way legally she could have consensual sex because a doctor determined she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia so severely that she could no longer make decisions for herself. A judge agreed and ruled the woman “incapacitated,” and appointed a legal guardian to handle her affairs and make decisions for her.

Full Article & Source:
Lawmaker promises fix after KXAN uncovers flawed elder abuse investigation

4 comments:

Thelma said...

Government's responsibility as parens patriae is not being met.

Anonymous said...

It's a major failure and I think most of the failures are in not enforcing penalties for these egregious acts.

Anonymous said...

you contact the RPO and file--then DADS,then disability rights tx- APS-contact them REPEATEDLY AND IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED EACH CONTACT..AND NOTHING IS DONE.
abuse,exploitation,ILLEGAL ACTIONS ,VIOLATIONS OF STATE CODES AND LAWS EVEN ENUMERATED for them aaaaand nothing is done.
NOW WHY are these ALLEGED PROTECTIVE GROUPS GETTING PAID as the ALLEGED LEGAL stabLes they have under the SAME ROOF obviously pick and choose THEIR CASES and this woman, my kid etc etc DON'T RATE as they freeekin MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOME WORK .MYGAWD get subpaenas and GET TO COURT-
SHUT THEM ALL DOWN and let people start badgering the local law dept and FILE REPORTS OF RAPE,illegal restraint ETC,scream to their local DA that A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED ,demand their police reports AND ENFORCEMENT--DADS,APS,DISABILITY RIGHTS TX ARE FULL OF IT.
this is like the crap going on in schools in certain districts--children are injured and harmed AND THE SCHOOLS ARE APPALLED WHEN POLICE ARE CONTACTED 1ST--then that report gets to the principal,district etc--NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
if they're NOT doing their jobs and are THE CAUSE OF THESE DELAYS--shut them down-we cannot even file tort due to THEM NOT DEMANDING A THING from the party causing the situation,we have NOTHING,it's almist an ENTIRE YEAR AND YEW MUST BE KIDDING THINKING we will take this crap--THEY will all be summonsed in regard TO obstruction of justice,interfering with an investigation and ANYTHING ELSE THAT WILL STICK.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It's a major failure and I think most of the failures are in not enforcing penalties for these egregious acts.

__________________
BINGO ! if the laws were enforced and these subhumans KNEW LAWS ARE ENFORCED and penalties.fines,loss of livesnure follwed IMMEDIATELY, none of this would be going on.
IN TEXAS there is no enforcement due to NO INVESTIGATIONS.

time to challenge the do nothings,including their political pals.