CW: Abuse & Neglect
An Ohio woman sustained severe injuries while living in a group home, according to her family. Lauren Carter had a four-inch-long and one-and-a-half-inch-wide wound on her neck. However, she couldn’t help authorities identify someone who might have slashed her throat in November 2021.
The incident occurred at Takoda Trails, an intermediate care facility in Butler County, where she has lived for over 20 years. Carter’s father is looking for an alternative group home for her, but it will be further away. He wants to care for her at home. Unfortunately, Ohio doesn’t provide enough funding for home and community-based services. As a result, he can’t afford to care for her at home. The family is now suing Takoda Trails.
Many people with developmental disabilities do not receive any support from their state. Approximately 7.4 million individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in the U.S. Approximately 1 in 5 of them, according to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, receive services from a state agency.
Carter is blind and has Cerebral Palsy. , according to the lawsuit, Carter had broken bones, burns, and injuries that required stitches and was left on hot buses for hours.
Unfortunately, abuse is common among disabled people. Those with intellectual and developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to be sexually abused than non-disabled people.
The National Crime Victim Survey indicated in 2008 that disabled people experience greater rates of violence than those without disabilities. Sadly, the survey also found that victimization is twice as high for people with disabilities.
Medicaid covers home and community-based services. The cost of care in institutions is significantly higher than that of community-based care. Everyone who is disabled deserves the best possible quality of life. There is also a nationwide lack of home healthcare workers, which must be addressed because care cannot wait.
Sources:
Cheatham, Craig. “How Did a Woman Who Has Profound Disabilities Get Her Throat Slashed in a Fairfield Facility?” WCPO 9 News, The E. W. Scripps Company , 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-team/how-did-a-woman-with-profound-disabilities-get-her-throat-slashed-in-a-fairfield-facility?_amp=true.
Shapiro, Joseph. “The Sexual Assault Epidemic No One Talks About.” NPR, NPR, 8 Jan. 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/01/08/570224090/the-sexual-assault-epidemic-no-one-talks-about.
Silverman, Amy. “Million-Dollar Question: How to Find Safe Homes for Those with Complex Needs.” Center for Public Integrity, Center for Public Integrity, 19 Dec. 2022, https://publicintegrity.org/health/institution-of-one/find-safe-homes-people-with-disabilities/.
Rand, Michael, and Erika Harrell. “Crime against people with disabilities, 2008.” (2010).
“Vulnerable Children and Adults in Group Homes Face Risk of Abuse.” The Yost Legal Group, 10 July 2019, https://www.yostlaw.com/vulnerable-children-and-adults-in-group-homes-face-risk-of-abuse/.