THE deaths of two clients from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse several months ago are of great concern for the agency’s federal management team.
According to the latest quarterly report issued to the District Court by Dr. James Kiffer, a member of the court-appointed federal management team, the deaths occurred back in May.
According to the report, the first incident involved a client who suffered a heart attack after a choking incident while eating watermelon in a residential placement facility operated by a contract vendor.
There were indications the client had problems swallowing, but court documents state “it did not appear that program precautions were taken in the home as they may not have been aware of the reported swallowing difficulties.”
“The primary action taken to reduce the likelihood of this event happening again is for the department to assume the responsibility of professional service and treatment to clients in the homes rather than shift the responsibility to vendors,” Kiffer stated in the report.
The other death was that of a woman involved in an auto-auto collision near Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Yigo. Kiffer reported the woman was a client and was in a vehicle operated by the vendor at the time of the accident.
“The immediate event was that the client was not properly secured by seatbelt in the vendor’s vehicle and was ejected suffering fatal injuries as a result. Second contributing cause was that the vendor’s home was on one of the busiest highways on the island,” Kiffer stated in the report, adding residences where clients stay in should be in community settings in order to give the clients an opportunity to interact with neighbors.
Further investigation into the two deaths is almost complete, Kiffer said, pending final report submission.
DMHSA reports on two deaths
- Thursday, 04 Oct 2012 03:00am
- BY ZITA Y. TAITANO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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