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These incidents included one involving a caretaker whipping a patient with a key lanyard and another incident where an autistic man walked out of the facility into a nearby home. The report states these incidents are the result of the fact that state laws in Michigan exempt residential foster care homes from local zoning laws. These homes that have six or fewer people living in them are not bound by the same zoning laws as state mental institutions. For that reason, many residents of the Michigan town where this home is located are asking for stricter zoning laws. By changing zoning laws, homes such as this one would be required to function as an institution and not a regular home. This would mean the home would need to be modified in order to prevent incidents like those that have occurred to date.

This decision seems to make sense as changing zoning laws for group homes would essentially ensure the safety of residents in the group home as well as neighboring homes. Enforcing stricter zoning laws would force these homes to modify the homes to comply with those laws in a way that would be beneficial to residents in the home. The incidents that have occurred to date would occur far less if the zoning laws were to change. However, on the other hand, certain zoning laws may restrict the freedom that some residents of group homes currently have. They may force residents to remain in the house in order to prevent any dangerous situations from occurring. This is where the debate stems from as there is always two sides to every coin.

The state began its investigation into the group home, Johnston House, after receiving a complaint. The complaint stemmed from an incident in which several boys were confined for hours in  a room without air conditioning in order to get a confession about the theft of clothing. While investigating the incident, state officials also discovered several instances of inadequate facilities, including toilets that could not be flushed and malfunctioning showers. The malfunctioning showers had caused staff to take the boys to a local YMCA for showers.

Inadequate facilities is a frequent and serious problem in group homes. They can both interfere with residents' quality of life and lead to serious illness and injury. In the case of Johnston House, officials reported smelling backed up waste in the restrooms due to the malfunctioning toilets. This not only makes the group home an unpleasant place to live for the residents, but is also unsanitary and could possibly lead to illness.

The confinement of the boys is an even more serious issue. While it is important for group home staff to maintain order and investigate issues such as theft, confining the boys in a room without air conditioning in the middle of summer is not a proper way to handle the situation.

For more information on group home abuse and neglect issues, please visit Solomon & Relihan's Group Home Abuse website.

Elopement and wandering off is a serious problem at group homes and nursing homes.  It happens more often than reported and can expose residents to a wide range of dangers:

• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Heat stroke/exposure to the elements
• Medication-related illness or injury
• Falls
• Personal injury or death in traffic
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse

Wandering off happens for many reasons in group homes — none of them acceptable. Facilities are often inadequately staffed for the level of care their residents need, which can lead to improper supervision. When improper supervision is combined with broken door alarms or unsupervised exits, confused and vulnerable residents are at risk.

For more information on elopement and wandering off at group homes, visit Solomon & Relihan's Elopement/Wandering Off Information page.