Audit: Maine failed to protect the disabled

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine has failed to adequately report and investigate deaths and abuse of its residents with developmental disabilities, according to a federal audit released Thursday.

The report released by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the Maine Department of Health and Human Services failed 2,640 Medicaid beneficiaries who are allowed under a federal waiver to use community- and homebased services rather than state-run institutions.

The federal review comes amid concern in Congress over abuse and deaths in group homes serving those with developmental disabilities. Previous audits highlighted similar concerns in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and David Lamir, regional inspector general for the Office of Inspector General, said reviews in other states are underway.

"To Maine's credit, they've stated they've already adopted many of our recommendations," Lamir said.

The audit includes examples of uninvestigated incidents like a person who fell out of bed and later suffered a fractured right clavicle and another person who ingested laundry soup while helping a staff member clean up urine. In one instance, a person fell in the bathtub while unattended and drowned.

"The beneficiary's death was not investigated by the state agency as an untimely death," meaning there was no review completed on what could have prevented it, according to the report.

Auditor John Sullivan, who worked on Maine's audit, said they interviewed people with developmental disabilities in Maine who raised concern about the low pay of unlicensed staff at community-based, institutionalized settings.

"That was one of their major concerns," Sullivan said.