December 16th, 2008

Reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Soaked in his own urine, the West End man was left alone for 10 hours a day. Mentally and physically incapacitated by multiple sclerosis, he had no way of seeking help.

The man’s brothers, who profited from his pension and Social Security disability checks, left him tied to his wheelchair all day.

Sherie Lammers, outreach director for the National MS Society’s office in Pittsburgh, was appalled when she saw the scene in July.

If the man had been under 18, Ms. Lammers could have called the Office of Children, Families and Youth to intervene and obtain proper care for him. If he had been 60 or older, Ms. Lammers could have called the Older Adult Protective Services System.

But the man is 42, and Pennsylvania is one of only five states that does not have an adult protective services law, according to a tally by Vision For Equality, a Philadelphia-based disability services organization.

Unless the man files a protection from abuse order — which Ms. Lammers said he’s incapable of doing — authorities won’t step in, because he’s not in immediate physical danger.

“I could give you 100 more stories like that,” Ms. Lammers said. “We don’t have anything for vulnerable citizens, people who are disabled.”

Read the rest of the Post-Gazette’s in-depth article on PA’s appalling lack of protective legislation for disabled adults.