Allegheny County Council - File #: 4562-09

• File #: 4562-09
• Version: 1
• Name: Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County requesting the Health & Human Services Committee to conduct an extensive inquiry into the alleged abuse of a resident at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel, and to explore the feasibility of p
• Type: Motion
• Status: Expired by Rule
• File created: 1/6/2009
• In control: Committee on Health & Human Services
• Final action: 12/31/2009
• Title: Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County requesting the Health & Human Services Committee to conduct an extensive inquiry into the alleged abuse of a resident at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel, and to explore the feasibility of periodic employment background checks to insure the safety and well-being of Kane Center residents.
• Sponsors: Jan Rea

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
12/31/2009	1	County Council	Expired by Rule
1/8/2009	1	Committee on Health & Human Services	Held in Committee
1/6/2009	1	County Council	Referred

Title

Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County requesting the Health & Human Services Committee to conduct an extensive inquiry into the alleged abuse of a resident at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel, and to explore the feasibility of periodic employment background checks to insure the safety and well-being of Kane Center residents.

Body

                     WHEREAS, on December 26, 2008, five Allegheny County employees working as caretakers at Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel were arrested and accused of physically and verbally abusing an elderly Alzheimer's patient; and

WHEREAS, Allegheny County took swift action to investigate the allegations of abuse, and once the five individuals were arrested and charged, the Administration immediately terminated their employment; and

                     WHEREAS, one of the five individuals arrested had a prior criminal record; in 2005, she was arrested for aggravated assault and harassment, and in 2003, she was charged with simple assault and harassment; in both cases, the individual pleaded guilty to harassment and the assault charges were dismissed; and

                     WHEREAS, another Kane employee arrested in the abuse incident was convicted in 2000 of giving false information to Pittsburgh police during a traffic stop; and

                     WHEREAS, the Health & Human Services Committee has scheduled a meeting on January 8, 2009 to discuss the alleged patient abuse at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel; and

                     WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Health has indicated that it will conduct its own investigation; and

                     WHEREAS, circumstances such as those described raise significant concerns about the need for periodic review of the criminal background of individuals employed at the Kane Centers;  

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the Health & Human Services Committee conduct an extensive inquiry into the alleged abuse of a resident at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel, and to explore the feasibility of periodic criminal background checks for Kane Center employees to insure the safety and well-being of the Center's residents.