DOJ Report: Missouri illegally sent thousands of adults with mental illnesses to nursing homes [Video]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – A report by the U.S. Department of Justice alleges Missouri is breaking the federal disability law by unnecessarily sending thousands of its citizens to nursing homes against their will.

The DOJ’s report follows a year-and-a-half-long investigation and alleges Missouri sent thousands of citizens dealing with mental health illnesses to restrictive institutions, despite not fitting the profile for being in a nursing home. Those patients are left without a choice merely because of resisting treatment, according to the report.

One issue the DOJ lists among “a series of systematic failures” is the state’s “improper reliance” on guardians for decision-making on behalf of the adult patient.

“Heavy caseloads lead guardians to resort to using nursing facilities rather than identifying and connecting people to community-based alternatives,” the report said.

The report reveals that 3,289 adults were sent to nursing facilities as of March 2023, which does not include those with Alzheimer’s and …