Monday, February 8th, 2010: United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit leaves Rolland V. Patrick Settlement Agreement standing, emphasizes state obligations.
While rejecting the Groton residents' appeal to have the agreement overturned, the Court said patients' cases require thorough evaluation involving physicians and families, and that guardians have individual appeal rights. Challenges to transfer decisions may be possible also under the U.S. Nursing Home Reform Act.
The residents' families will continue to appeal for support from the public to oppose policies that discriminate against cognitively impaired individuals requiring nursing care.
Monday, August 10th, 2009: Families address Governor Patrick at a town hall meeting in Groton; attorneys for Groton residents file court reply brief. We have 2 new additions this week. The first is a news article which ran in the Lowell Sun and the second is a copy of our Reply brief filed August 3, 2009 as part of the Groton residents' appeal of the Rolland V. Patrick Settlement Agreement that our lawyers have sent to the Federal Circuit Court.
................................................. Saturday, June 27th, 2009: Petition Has Been Restarted We have made a new petition as a continuation to our first petition which received 1,651 signatures. Please continue to support our cause and sign this petition as well. Thank you for your support.
................................................. Tuesday, June 16th, 2009: New Lowell Sun Article A new article is now available about Congresswoman Niki Tsongas's visit to Seven Hills Pediatric Center
The article is titled "Families urge lawmakers to fight state for disabled patients" and includes video.
................................................. Tuesday, May 19th, 2009: Groton Brief Submitted to U.S. Appeals Court for 1st Circut Attorneys representing more than forty Seven Hills Groton residents filed the brief in support of their appeal of the Rolland Settlement Agreement on May 18, 2009
................................................. Older Updates: -
10/19/2008: To View the Press Event & Demonstration
Article, including our 2008 March, please
click here >>
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10/12/2008 "We're Prepared To Fight"
Article Addition Made, to read article, please
click here >>
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And More!
Thank
you for visiting the website of the families of 43 profoundly
brain-damaged individuals cared for at Seven Hills Pediatric
Center at Groton, MA. Our goal is to inform you of a decade-old
court action that will have life-threatening effects on
our loved-ones.
We need your help.
As parents of these individuals we are protesting the state’s
plan to move them to small group homes as required by the
Rolland Settlement. More about the Rolland Settlement In
brief, the settlement states that by 2012, the state must
create 640 new community placement slots for the mentally
retarded and disabled and transition that number of current
nursing home residents into them. The facts are that the
individuals at Seven Hills Pediatric Center differ from
those that might benefit from the settlement. These individuals
need the round-the-clock care provided now to meet their
serious medical conditions. In itself, any change to their
daily routines has the potential significantly shorten their
lives. None of them can talk or walk and all have a mental
age of less than one year. Their fragile lives remain thriving
and in balance with the care-givers at Seven Hills. A state-mandated
placement change ignoring parents' and doctors' opposition
can be stopped only with your help.
Our Petition
To The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts
I
wish to add my name as a supporter of the profoundly
retarded, non-verbal, and medically fragile individuals
cared for at the Seven Hills Pediatric Center in Groton
whom the Department of Mental Retardation has recommended
be moved out of their home. The Commonwealth’s
claim that these individuals would be better off living
“in the Community” and the current administration’s
abandonment of the previous practice of giving the individuals
or families concerned the power to make this decision
are sad departures from the past progressive and humane
practices of our state. I for one will hold the Patrick
Administration accountable if it proceeds with this
action and shortens the lives of these individuals.
If individuals who cannot speak for themselves cannot
be spoken for by their family members and guardians,
then none of us have any real rights. This is a continuation of our previous petition
which was signed by 1651 individuals.