SCR96 —

SCR96 SHH Statement 2/15/18 SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE   STATEMENT TO   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No.

96   STATE OF NEW JERSEY 218th LEGISLATURE   INTRODUCEDDATED: FEBRUARY 8, 2018     Sponsored by:

Senator  FEBRUARY RICHARD15, J.2018         The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably Senate Concurrent Resolution No.

CODEY96. District 27 (Essex and Morris) Senator  JOSEPH F.

VITALE      DistrictThis 19Concurrent (Middlesex)Resolution  urges Co-Sponsoredthe by:Governor to reopen the Senator Garrett W.

Senator Diegnan         SYNOPSIS      Urges Governor to reopen Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As introduced.

  A Concurrent Resolution urging the Governor to reopen the Senator Garrett W.

Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital.

  Whereas, The Senator Garrett W.

Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital (Hagedorn), located in Glen Gardner, Hunterdon County opened as a treatment center for individuals with tuberculosis, was converted into a geriatric psychiatric hospital in the 1970s, and in the early 2000s began accepting seriously ill patients of all ages;

and Whereas, According to mental health advocates, Hagedorn was one of the most highly functioning and well-staffed hospitals in the State, and its smaller size and specialization in geriatric mental health filled a niche that other State psychiatric hospitals did not;

and   Whereas, Hagedorn, at its peak, housed 300 patients, and as of late April of 2010, 184 of Hagedorn’s 273 patients were aged 65 years or older;

and Whereas, Hagedorn was closed in July 2012, and the reasons given for the closure of the hospital by former Governor Christie included cost savings and an effort to provide treatment for individuals with mental illness in the least restrictive setting possible;

and  Whereas, Leading up to the hospital’s closure in 2012, its 255 patients were moved into nursing homes, community placements, or relocated to other State hospitals, and advocates express concern that because of their advanced age or frailty, those former Hagedorn patients may not be able to advocate for themselves to change their situation if their new placements are not providing the necessary levels of care and support;

and Whereas,  Populations of the other State psychiatric hospitals have increased, in part, due to their absorption of some of the former Hagedorn patients, resulting in the untenable overcrowding and dangerous conditions at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, which was built to house 450 people in the main building, but which as of March 2017 housed 560 patients;

and   Whereas, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital experienced a marked  increase in patient-on-patient and patient-on-staff  violence during 2017, one of the dangerous consequences of overcrowding and insufficient staffing;

and Whereas, According to the World Health Organization, over 20 percent of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental illness or neurological disorder, including dementia and depression, and between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s older adults is expected to nearly double, thus, the State will be required to meet this ongoing public health need;

and Whereas, While it is appropriate and desirable that patients with mental illness be treated in the least restrictive setting possible, there will always be some patients whose illness prevents them from living safely and fully in the community, whose age or condition renders them particularly vulnerable if they were to be hospitalized with other mentally ill patients, or whose illness requires stabilization that only a specialized psychiatric hospital can provide;

and Whereas, It is fitting and appropriate that the State reopen the Senator Garrett W.

Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital to ensure the safety of not only those patients with mental illness who because of their advanced age have specialized treatment needs that cannot be satisfactorily met in other settings, but of all patients in the State’s care;

now, therefore,        Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):

  1.      The Legislature of this State respectfully urges the Governor to reopen the Senator Garrett W.

       2.     According Copiesto ofmental thishealth Resolution,advocates, asHagedorn filedwas withone the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerkmost ofhighly thefunctioning Generaland Assemblywell-staffed orhospitals thein Secretary of the SenateState, to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and theits Commissionerssmaller ofsize Health and Humanspecialization Services. in  geriatric  mental STATEMENThealth  filled     a Thisniche Concurrentthat Resolutionother urgesState thepsychiatric Governorhospitals todid reopennot. the Senator Garrett W.

Hagedorn Hagedorn, Gero-Psychiatricat Hospital so that the State can provide appropriate treatment and support to its olderpeak, residentshoused with300 mentalpatients, illness who require hospitalization, and inas theof process,late potentiallyApril helpof to2010, relieve184 theof dangerousHagedorn’s overcrowding273 ofpatients somewere ofaged the65 State’syears otheror psychiatricolder. hospitals.

          AccordingLeading up to mentalthe healthhospital’s advocates,closure Hagedornin was2012, oneits of255 thepatients mostwere highlymoved functioninginto andnursing well-staffedhomes, hospitalscommunity inplacements, theor State,relocated andto itsother smallerState sizehospitals, and specializationadvocates inexpress geriatricconcern mentalthat healthbecause filledof atheir nicheadvanced thatage otheror Statefrailty, psychiatricthose hospitalsformer didHagedorn not.patients may not be able to advocate for themselves to change their situation if their new placements are not providing the necessary levels of care and support.

Hagedorn, Populations atof itsthe peak,other housedState 300psychiatric patients,hospitals andhave asincreased, ofin latepart, Aprildue ofto 2010,their 184absorption of Hagedorn’ssome patientsof werethe agedformer 65Hagedorn yearspatients, orresulting older.in the untenable overcrowding and dangerous conditions at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital.

     While Leadingit upis toappropriate theand hospital’sdesirable closurethat inpatients 2012,with itsmental 255illness patientsbe weretreated movedin intothe nursingleast homes,restrictive communitysetting placements,possible, orthere relocatedwill toalways otherbe Statesome hospitals,patients andwhose advocatesillness expressprevents concernthem thatfrom becauseliving ofsafely theirand advancedfully in the community, whose age or frailty,condition thoserenders formerthem Hagedornparticularly patientsvulnerable mayif notthey bewere able to advocatebe forhospitalized themselveswith toother changementally theirill situationpatients, ifor theirwhose newillness placementsrequires arestabilization notthat providingonly thea necessaryspecialized levelspsychiatric ofhospital carecan andprovide. support.

Populations of the other State psychiatric hospitals have increased, in part, due to their absorption of some of the former Hagedorn patients, resulting in the untenable overcrowding and dangerous conditions at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital.

While it is appropriate and desirable that patients with mental illness be treated in the least restrictive setting possible, there will always be some patients whose illness prevents them from living safely and fully in the community, whose age or condition renders them particularly vulnerable if they were to be hospitalized with other mentally ill patients, or whose illness requires stabilization that only a specialized psychiatric hospital can provide.