Disabled woman's death demands study, delay in state facility's closure, lawmaker says

In happier days at the Woodbridge Developmental Center in the spring, Maureen Doran, center, visiting with her sisters and go-guardians Lori Centrella, left, and Kathy DeCicco, right.

TRENTON — The chairwoman of the Assembly Human Services Committee urged state Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez today to halt all efforts to close two institutions that serve people with developmental disabilities after the death of a longtime resident that is the focus of a state investigation.

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) said she also intends to introduce legislation requiring the Department of Human Services to release a plan outlining how it intends protect the safety of residents and minimize disruption as it prepares to close the Woodbridge Developmental Center and the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa by 2017.

"Tragic incidents have occurred at developmental centers, group homes and other residences," Huttle said in a statement. "Regardless of where it happens, we must make sure that we are doing all we can to prevent abuse and neglect of our most vulnerable."

Huttle's announcement follows a story in The Sunday Star-Ledger which detailed the injuries, illnesses and death of Maureen Doran, 68, who had lived at the Woodbridge Developmental Center for nearly 17 trouble-free years until May, when she was assaulted by a cottage-mate.

In August, she fell and broke her leg and while recuperating, developed aspiration pneumonia and septic shock. She died Sept. 3 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway. Doran’s sisters and co-guardians contend the state’s decision in July 2012 to close Woodbridge has led to a flurry of resident transfers and staff reassignments and created a chaotic environment in which safety and supervision has declined.

On Monday, Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairman Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) said he would hold a hearing to examine how the Christie administration is handling the facility’s closure.

If the Woodbridge and Totowa facilities close, those residents would be given an opportunity to live either in group homes, one of the remaining developmental centers or other supervised housing.

Many advocacy groups for the disabled agree with the governor’s proposal because, they say, institutions segregate people with disabilities, violate their right to leading a less restrictive life and cost too much money that could be used to serve more people in smaller community housing.

But some families with relatives at New Jersey’s seven developmental centers say they don’t believe their loved ones will get the same level of around-the-clock supervision and care, and have filed a lawsuit to block the closures.

Doran and her sister and co-guardian, Lori Centrella of Brielle, were plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Centrella said she has since dropped out of the case.

Huttle, who introduced unsuccessful legislation to prevent the closures, said Doran’s death suggests the Department of Human Services must be more transparent and accountable as its winds down the centers’ operations.

"There should certainly not be any more transfers before the investigation concludes and there should be a moratorium on the closures until DHS produces a transition plan available to the families and the public that addresses such concerns as sufficient staffing resources, ratio, and oversight," she said. "I am requesting that the department stop the closure process now, review safety procedures, and create a closure plan before it moves forward with any additional transfers."

Human Services officials declined to comment.

RELATED COVERAGE

Families of disabled sue N.J. to block developmental center closings

Panel formalizes decision to close 2 N.J. institutions for disabled despite objections

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