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ROBIN LYNN HAS ADAPTED TO ACCOMODATE HER DISABILITIES RIGHT UP UNTIL NOW. SHE HAS NEVER, EVER RESORTED TO "FAKE OR ATTENTION SEEKING SEIZURES/FALLS". NO DOCTOR, NO SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL, STAY AWAY CAMP, OR HOSPITAL PERSONNEL OVER HER MANY HOSPITALIZATIONS, HAVE EVER ASKED, "DO YOU THINK SHE COULD BE FAKING FALLS FOR ATTENTION?". IT IS ONLY THE UNTRAINED STAFF OF THE GROUP HOME OPERATOR WHO REPORT FOR HER AT HER DOCTORS, WHO HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. CT DDS HAS FAILED TO LISTEN TO THE PROBATE COURT, AND FAILED IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROTECT ROBIN FROM MEDICAL NEGLECT.
HERE IS WHAT A FELLOW VOLUNTEER FROM FLORIDA WROTE: (NOTE: I will always remove the last name to protect our volunteers, as we publicize "Robin Lynn's Journey":
"I am thinking of you as you fight for Robin and care for critically ill husband; what an unbelievable situation! I hope husband can improve and that your effort for Robin Lynn will be effective. This is to let you know what I have tried to do: I called the office of Gov. Malloy. The man with whom I spoke promised to go to the website and study the case. I told him the story. He said he knew nothing about it. He gave me a speech about how any parent wants to defend her child, but you have to hear both sides of the story. Hopefully he will research as promised. CongresswomanRosa Delacro’s office also promised to research the web site. The office of Richard Blumenthal gave me another number that was the correct one for reporting something like Robin’s case. That person said he could not take a complaint from a family member or friend; that it had to be from the person, the victim. I explained about her; that she has CP, etc. and would not be able to speak for herself. He did not accept my report. Love 💕 and hugs to you and your husband, Joanne (Last name removed) Tallahassee"
I WROTE THIS VOLUNTEER A QUICK MESSAGE:
"Joanne, Thank you so much for what you have done. It may seem like nothing to you with the replies that you got, but trust me, many, many in CT gov. are reading the blog. Stay tuned. The new permanent address for the bolog is: robinlynsjourney-helpherwin.com New articles have been added. I've started to do actual record dumps on the blog. Please read every chance you get."
VOLUNTEERS:
Please share your responses as you receive them - whether from a conversation, and your experience, or a written response. I will remove your last name, use only your first, and your state. You can email Robin Lynn's Journey at the following email address: robinblog18@mail.com
NOTES AND FACTS FROM Madeline/Guardian/Blog Editor:
First in regard to what the person on the phone who told Joanne, our volunteer from Florida - "He said he knew nothing about it." You saw my email to the Governor on May 14, 2018. One would wonder who, and how the staff that represent Governor Malloy are trained, or whether they have been asked to "play ignorant to the seriousness of this matter, not just for Robin Lynn, but how many other developmentally disabled living in group homes in Connecticut"?
I hope it is lack of training in the governor's office, rather than the latter. On May 14th, it took me several hours to gather my information, check the governor's website for a fax number, and then drive my fax to the UPS store to have it faxed. Despite the fact that I had checked, and rechecked the governor's fax number, the UPS employee was unable to get the fax to go through. I drove back home, rechecked the fax number, and called the governor's office to discuss what could be causing the fax problem. I explained that I had an URGENT fax that I wanted to get into the governor's office that day. The staff person said, "I haven't heard that fax machine go in some time, guess there could be a problem". I said that it was very important that I get this fax out today, and I had noticed a second fax number on the governor's website. I asked if I should try that number, but he needed to realize that I was not faxing from my home, I was going to have to drive out again. He said that I could try the second number, but if I got to UPS, and it wouldn't go through, then I could have UPS download the entire fax, email it to me, and I in turn could go to the governor's website, and email it. This man, representative to the governor's office, cared so little that never once did he say that he was sorry that I was inconvenienced in trying to contact the governor, nor did he offer to get up, and check either of the fax machines to see what the problem was! When I asked if email to the governor was checked regularly, he said that it was. Over a week later, having heard nothing from the governor's office, I called and again spoke to a male staff person. I explained I was very concerned as to whether anyone at that office, let alone the governor, or a competent representative had reviewed it. He agreed to go check the governor's email, and found my email - obviously unopened, because he started to tell me that he was unable to open the document. I challenged him, and told him that I had followed the governor's staff advice to have my fax downloaded by UPS. He tinkered a little longer, and said "it is opening now". He promised that he would get it sent through immediately. How could that office tell Joanne from Florida that they didn't know anything about it?
REALLY??????? HERE IS ANOTHER VOLUNTEER EMAIL FROM MICHIGAN TO THE GOVERNOR, SHARED TO PUBLISH ON THE BLOG:
Date: Wed, May 23, 2018 at 1:04 AM Subject: Letter to Governor Malloy To: jordan.scheff@ct.gov
May 22, 2018
Governor Dannel P. Malloy
Office of the Governor
State Capital
210 Capital Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Re: DDS Vendor/Group Homes for Developmentally Disabled
Dear Governor Malloy:
When you took the oath of office as the Governor of the State of Connecticut you swore to represent the citizens of the State of Connecticut to the best of your ability. I am sure that was a tremendous undertaking and no one person can do it all. It is very important though that you remember that the care of vulnerable disabled adults is part of your responsibility. These adults are citizens that are easy to ignore since they do not file complaints, but nevertheless they are the very citizens you swore to represent.
Robin Lynn ( note: removed last name) (https://robinblog18.wixsite.com/website) is a developmentally disabled adult who needs your attention. Robin has been a resident for over 20 years in a group home that for whatever reason, whether it be financial cutbacks or lack of proper training for staff, has become a dangerous place for her to reside at. Moreover, when a complaint was filed with Connecticut DDS, instead of improvements being made, action is being taken to have her evicted from that home.
My question and frankly your concern should be what benefit is there to removing an individual from a facility instead of fixing the problems. Perhaps a “new” person and/or their family will ignore the lack of proper treatment by personnel within the group home. How many issues like Robin's will need to occur before matters are addressed appropriately or are there other matters like Robin's that have been ignored.
As you are aware, the judicial system does not take jurisdiction over matters without probable cause. Therefore, you should ask yourself why the court has been involved in this matter. What medical records have been tampered with that will make finding a new facility (even in another state) difficult.
I strongly urge you and your staff to research what is happening in your state monitored facilities. We are very proud of Robin and are very grateful she has a mother who will fight for her as she has for the past 42 plus years. As her governor, will you also fight for her and the vulnerable residents at these facilities.
Trusting you to care,
Debbie
cc: Mr. Jordan A. Scheff (DDS Commissioner)
SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE CAUSED THE HIGHER LEVELS OF DDS TO RESPOND TO ME, AFTER READING THE BLOG, AND SENT THEIR RESPONSE ON UP THE LADDER! Read the volunteer's letter here:
From: Cody (Last name removed for publication. Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 12:29 PM To: Scheff, Jordan A Subject: Medical Neglect
Sir, I have been sadly informed of a Medical Neglect case currently happening in the State of Connecticut. This is being done in a group home which is currently under your watch. This makes you partially responsible for Neglect as you are the head of the DDS and have failed to act on resolving these reoccurring neglect issues. You have failed to do your duty and as part of the medical oath of do no harm, you are allowing harm to continue to happen. You should be ashamed of yourself. If you are wondering what I am referring to I encourage you to read the blog below. Your name has been attached to it as well as your phone number. I also urge you to reach out to the Guardian of the victim of neglect to come to a resolution. (Identifying sentence as to the writer removed.) She is a fierce woman and will take this all the way to Washington DC as she has done once before years ago and trust me the White House listened. Please read the blog below. My family is anxiously awaiting your phone call with a positive resolution.
I RECEIVE THIS RESPONSE AFTER:
Gorst, Fritz D <Fritz.Gorst@ct.gov>
(Note: Guardian's private email address removed for publication.)
Scheff, Jordan A <Jordan.Scheff@ct.gov>, McCarthy, MJ <MJ.McCarthy@ct.gov>, O'Brien, Shannon <Shannon.OBrien@ct.gov>, Kendall, Kelley <Kelley.Kendall@ct.gov>, Mason, Peter <Peter.Mason@ct.gov>, Rivera, Eunice B <Eunice.Rivera@ct.gov>, Rock-Burns, Kathryn <Kathryn.Rock-Burns@ct.gov>
Subject:FW: Medical Neglect
Priority:NormalDate:Tuesday, May 22, 2018 3:00 PMSize:12 KB
Good Afternoon,
I was made aware of this email sent to Commissioner Scheff and the link to the blog. As when we spoke on May 9th, the first investigation done by (group home operator name removed). ( Intake on February 7, 2018 ) and then reviewed by DDS Division of Investigation ( DOI ) was not signed off by me pending a second investigation ( Intake May 7, 2018 ) of a fall being conducted by DDS DOI. We are waiting on the findings of the most recent investigation and a relook by DDS DOI of the first one.
Thank you
Fritz Gorst
MY THOUGHTS AND FACTS:
First "Robin Lynn's Journey" volunteers, you may feel at times that you are not making a difference but you are. I hope that you will take the DDS email addresses included in this email and write them, and tell them that you want some answers from them. Give them the permanent blog address : robinlynsjourney-helpherwin.com and refer to the June 10th article (today's), and ask them why they ever allowed the very agency involved in the report of "medical neglect of Robin Lynn resulting in injury" to investigate this report against themselves, and then issued a discharge order to force her out of the home she has called home for 20 years, in apparent retaliation. Remind them, that the delay in a real investigation, lead to a second injury and filing of a second "medical neglect of Robin Lynn resulting in injury". and a third report to the governor, when Robin Lynn had another fall hitting the same area, as the second injury, and medical personnel in emergency, cautioned the group operator staff to seek an immediate doctor's visit to remedy some of the damage of the first injury.
The probate court order relates the following: "The court received a guardian's report on July 14, 2017, in which the guardian explained to the court that she was concerned that certain behaviors of the ward, Robin (last name removed for publication) (Robin) were mischaracterized and had made their way into medical records which inured to the detriment of Robin. The guardian further stated that she believed that Robin was being punished for such misbehaviors by being deprived of certain recreational activities."
"The court held a hearing on the matter on August 4, 2017 and issued a decree of same date.......The court ordered the executive director of (name of group home operator removed for this publication),Inc., the agency caring for Robin, to appear at a further hearing to discuss the matter." Volunteers, I had to stop the quotes, and add a comment. It should be noted that the group home operator's executive director, had been notified of the August 4th hearing, along with DDS: Case manager, Director Gorst, Eunice Rivera. The group home operator sent the manager, yes the assistant manager you've seen on some of the records provided earlier, and DDS sent NO ONE. During the first hearing, the judge questioned the group home staff about Ms."L's" credentials, after I testified to the fact that Robin's behavior after a seizure in my home had changed dramatically, and she kept calling out "don't call "L", I'll get a bad report." The judge's papers after the second hearing notes her verification's of credentials of "L", who you've now seen is dragging her off to a psychiatrist, and reporting her behavioral findings of "attention seeking falls", to the point that her medication is increased - the medication known to cause instability and falls. We go back to quotes from the judges papers:
"L" (name removed), the program specialist at (group home operator's name removed), testified with respect to her opinion of Robin. "L" has worked for (group home operator's name removed) for over 20 years. She does not possess any licenses for therapy or medical assistance. She has no medical training. Her job is to observe behaviors and write behavior plans. "L" testified that she comes to (group home name removed), where Robin resides, anywhere from 5 to 10 times a year She believes that Robin occasionally falls on purpose in order to get attention"
"No medical testimony was offered during the hearing to assist the court in determining whether Robin's behavior was a seizure or something else, such as an epileptic drop attack, which Robin has a history of having suffered."
"The guardian, Madeline..........., was very concerned that Robin told her on the phone "Don't tell "L". I'll get a bad report." (Comment: It should be noted here again, that when this was discussed in court, that the assistant house manager, hissed from behind me "we haven't done that in a long time." I believe she is the one that started making these calls from the home to "L". I know she and "L" are present at the psychiatrist office, and have reported these falls- benign in their initial reports in their very files, as "behavioral attention seeking falls", and he upped Robin's meds. The assistant house manager delivers Robin to the neurologist. The records in both of these doctor's offices continue to be contaminated after the court hearings, and orders.)
"(Name removed) Supervisor of Case Management with DDS, reported that going forward, all falls will be treated as seizures. All falls will be documented. Further, (name removed) stated that "until there is adequate data and information to determine the cause of Robin's falls, any documentation indicating that falls are behavioral or attention seeking in nature will be removed."
"And it is ORDERED AND DECREED that:
1. (group home operator name removed) shall comply with the recommendations made by (name removed) of DDS in her report dated September 6, 2017
2. Robin (last name removed) shall continue to reside at (Name removed.) House in Westport, CT."
Dated at Westport, CT, this 25th day of September, 2017"
FINAL COMMENTS:
I've pulled this article together as I care for Robin's 87 year old step father of 20 years. Like her, I love him, and admire his tenacity, and ability to over come. My writings may be scattered, as I've typed in intensive care, and step down hospital rooms. Please ignore that, and realize that if I fail to be able to substantiate what I say is fact, I could be sued. I'm not afraid. Robin and I have handled a lot together as she moved forward overcoming obstacles, and compensating and adjusting to her disabilities. She has more grit in her than to ever reduce herself to "attention seeking falls", and her medical records for years and years support the fact of her drop seizures. As for myself, when someone proceeds as this group home operator has, I always seek the truth, and when I have it, I will go to the wall to get what I need for Robin.
This isn't the first time that I have had to fight for Robin, and make sure she is served according to what she is, and not mislabeled. Several years ago when Robin was 10, I observed that something was upsetting her at school. She had been in POHI (physically and otherwise health impaired) classrooms from age 3 on. Her report card the year before noted that she was "at grade level". Her current teacher's name was Miss Sue. Each day when Robin would come home, I would cook, and she would sit on the other side of the kitchen counter, and we would play school. I would give her homework, she would do it, and I would allow her to correct it. She began to draw big sad faces on her papers. They were mostly correct, and when I asked why she gave herself that grade she would respond that that was what Miss Sue would give her. Soon, all she had to show for her day at school were coloring book pictures - no spelling, no math, etc. I called the school and told them not to put her on the bus, that I would pick her up. When I picked her up, I had her wait with the school secretary, and asked Miss Sue, why Robin only had coloring pictures to bring home each day. She said Robin was too retarded to be in her classroom. My heart lurched. I asked her how she could go from "at grade level" to retarded, and not eligible for POHI. Miss Sue, stated something about the failure to recognize along the way, and the disability building unnoticed. She thought Robin should be moved from her room.
I drove to the administration offices of the special education dept., and asked to speak to the assistant director. Robin had been in "project find" from the age of 14 months. All those years before this administrator had provided services for her. Again, Robin sat with the secretary, and I went in to talk. As I told the administrator the story, she stopped me, listened to Robin and the secretary's conversation, and then said "that's not retarded. she belongs where she is". Miss Sue, made her request to move Robin. I ended up in countless meetings with the team, and visits to my work office from a social worker who told me that Robin fell right in the middle of the scale of retardation. There were sleepless nights for a long time, conversations with her doctors, and finally as I announced in a meeting that I was tired of this issue, and I failed to understand how we got to the point - unnoticed before now, that Robin was so grossly retarded. The social worker said that there was an aura around my family. We were all bright over achievers, and it had casted a glow that included Robin! The school phycologist asked whoever said she fell in the middle of the retardation scale???? I explained that the social worker had told me that many times. He stated that that was not true, and if he were in Robin's place, he'd want me to be the mother. I asked the group how we could resolve this? Independent evaluation. I said we'd do it.
As Robin and I drove to the appointment at a hospital to test for a day and a half, with personnel we had never met, I explained that I would be in the hospital, but I couldn't be in the room when the doctors were talking to her. For the first time ever, she began to complain - her sisters didn't have this - it was always her. I turned to her, and told her this was her life, and we all get something, and she better handle it, the way we always had. She turned, pigtails flying, and said, "all right, but you may not go, until I tell you that you can go." We walked in together, were introduced, and what she would be doing was explained, and she turned and said, "you may go now."
The professionals who tested her never got to see the aura. They did write a letter - report, after reviewing her program, and said that she not only belonged in Miss Sue's classroom, but should be eligible for something better! Miss Sue, like the group home operator after the court hearings, did not want to follow through and return Robin to her real program - more coloring of pictures only. A school administrator had to come and sit in the classroom for a few days, before Robin's program was returned to what it should be.
DDS, and the group home operator are failing Robin. DDS has failed to hold the operator to their contract of individual services to meet Robin's needs. DDS has allowed that operator to investigate themselves, while Robin continues to be harmed. DDS has turned the reports over to investigators - real investigators, but they are tied to the same DDS that brought us to this position, and one of the investigators told me during his interview with me, that Mr. Gorst is following this closely. That scares me. Why didn't DDS do the right thing, about everything before this? Why won't the CT government officials you have been calling help resolve this? Do they all favor this vendor over a client, and why? I hope it isn't embarrassed politics.
CONNECTICUT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, I WILL GO TO THE WALL FOR ROBIN LYNN WITH MY VOLUNTEERS, AND CONTINUE TO PUBLISH, AND PUSH FOR YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING, ALL THE WAY TO WASHINGTON. YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY AND PAINT ME AS A MISINFORMED, UNWILLING TO BELIEVE GUARDIAN/MOTHER, BUT IT HASN'T WORKED FOR OTHERS, AND IT WON'T FOR YOU EITHER. COULD YOU JUST RESOLVE THIS FOR ROBIN LYNN, CLEAN UP HER DESTROYED MEDICAL RECORDS, AND HELP ME MOVE HER OUT OF THE STATE OF CT BEFORE SHE IS INJURED AGAIN, AT THE HANDS OF YOUR FAVORED GROUP HOME CONTRACTOR?
Robin Lynn's Journey Volunteers: PLEASE SEND THIS TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS. ASK THEM TO READ IT, AND SEND AN EMAIL, INCLUDING THEIR STATE, OF SUPPORT, ASKING THE CT GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TO ACT IN ROBIN LYNN'S BEHALF, TO THIS BLOG EMAIL ADDRESS:
robinblog18@mail.com I will remove their last names, and email address, as I send the messages forward. Please take the time now!