Shocking questions arise after another disabled patient dies under state care
According to Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), another disabled patient on the state’s Developmental Disabilities Waiver (DD Waiver) has passed away.
NMDOH wrote in a press release, “The client reportedly fell, was treated at a hospital for a head injury and subsequently died on June 17, 2023. The department’s Division of Health Improvement continues to investigate this case for any instances of abuse, neglect and exploitation in relation to the care provided to this client.”
“The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating this matter. In an abundance of caution the DOH is also referring this case to the Attorney General’s Office for further review and investigation.”
The Department added, “The individual received an in-person wellness check on April 4, 2023, and appeared healthy without evidence of abuse or neglect when the state conducted in-person wellness checks on all individuals being cared for under the state’s Developmental Disabilities Waiver (DD Waiver) programs.”
However, the revelation of the April wellness check raises more questions.
In May, a 38-year-old disabled woman, Mary Melero, died due to constant physical, emotional, and sexual torture for years under her two caregivers. She was also on the state’s DD Waiver, and her abusive caregivers raked in $250,000 of taxpayer money.
At the time, the NMDOH wrote on May 18, 2023, “This shocking case prompted DOH to conduct and complete in-person wellness checks on all individuals being cared for under the state’s Developmental Disabilities Waiver (DD Waiver) programs to ensure they are in good health and being well cared for by providers.”
So, if NMDOH did, indeed, conduct wellness checks in May, why is the state now only noting the wellness check from early April?
After Ms. Melero’s death caused by her caregivers’ torture, NMDOH wrote, “State leadership and the DOH also immediately established what is now an ongoing independent, third-party investigation evaluating both the agency’s Developmental Disabilities Support Division and the Division of Health Improvement procedures to identify systemic flaws that allowed the alleged incidents to occur.”
The Department repeated this claim verbatim, writing in the June 29, 2023, statement on the latest death, “State leadership and the DOH established what is now an ongoing independent, third-party investigation evaluating both the agency’s Developmental Disabilities Supports Division and the Division of Health Improvement procedures to identify systemic flaws and improve processes.”
While the complete details of the latest DD Waiver patient’s death are unknown, the state’s claims to have done wellness checks on “all individuals” after Ms. Melero’s tragic slaughter identify more problems with the NMDOH’s care for people with disabilities under state oversight and care.
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