OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Martin O”Malley said yesterday that a troubled, state-run facility for the developmentally disabled will be closed over the next 18 months, giving officials ample time to find better settings for its 156 residents.
Mr. O”Malley, a Democrat, made the announcement after persistent reports of problems with care at the Rosewood Center, in Baltimore County.
“The decline of this facility is not something that happened recently,” he said. “It was a decline that happened in the course of many, many decades in this facility that is 100 years old.”
Reports have documented mistakes in medication and feedings for profoundly retarded residents. A state report last month concluded that the mistakes were continuing, despite repeated warnings and state sanctions.
John Colmers, secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said the agency will work with families to find community placements for the residents.
“No one will be left behind,” he said. “No one will be left out in the cold.”
But family members of residents said they were concerned about what would happen.
Ida Scott of Baltimore said her sister, Roslyn Johnson, has lived at the facility for 48 years and doesn”t want to leave.
“I am fearful,” Miss Scott said after meeting with the governor. “This is all she knows, Rosewood, for 48 years. She doesn”t want to go out into the community. She”s adamant about that.”
But state officials say Rosewood cannot remain open.
In January 2007, the state stopped admissions to the center after disturbing safety findings were revealed. In August, Rosewood was found to be noncompliant in seven of eight conditions of licensure participation.
State officials say many problems have been corrected, but the combination of an outdated facility and a mix of court-committed and civilly placed residents prompted Mr. O”Malley to close the center.
The state health department has put together a plan that assesses each resident at Rosewood to identify his or her needs. Findings indicate that an overwhelming majority of the residents can live in community settings, according to the state.
The center was established in 1888 on a 683-acre property. Its name changed several times over the years.
Rosewood residents include a broad mix of people with disabilities, including mental retardation and people with complex medical needs. It also houses people with developmental disabilities who have been involved with the criminal-justice system.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.