An Iowa facility for people with intellectual disabilities, the Glenwood Resource Center, is closing permanently following reports of violations of patients’ rights. The closure will affect 28 residents who will be moved out by the end of June, and 235 staff members who have been notified of impending lay-offs. Governor Kim Reynolds announced the closure in 2022, citing the need for the facility to shut down due to the violations reported by federal investigators.
Scathing reports by the U.S. Department of Justice have condemned Iowa’s treatment of people with intellectual and development disabilities. The DOJ alleged that Iowa likely violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services that integrate patients into their communities. Reports in December 2020 found that the Glenwood Resource Center likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments, including sexual arousal research that was deemed dangerous by federal investigators. This has led to the decision to close the facility and relocate residents to community-based settings.
Most of the residents from the Glenwood Resource Center have been moved to community-based settings such as residential facilities for those with intellectual disabilities, host homes, nursing facilities, or hospice care. Some residents were transferred to Iowa’s other facility, the Woodward Resource Center, which has also been cited as deficient in the past. This transition is aimed at ensuring the well-being and proper care of the residents as they move from the 380-acre campus to alternative caregiving environments.
The closure of the Glenwood Resource Center has left 235 staff members facing lay-offs as the facility shuts down permanently. Governor Kim Reynolds decided to close the facility following reports of violations of patients’ rights and the failure to integrate individuals with intellectual disabilities into their communities. The closure will impact the lives of the residents who will be relocated to various community-based settings, and the staff members who will lose their jobs as a result of the shutdown of the facility.
The state-run Glenwood Resource Center in Iowa has faced criticism and condemnation from federal investigators, particularly from the U.S. Department of Justice, for its treatment of individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. Reports indicated that the facility likely violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide adequate services for the residents. Additionally, allegations of subjecting residents to human experiments, including potentially dangerous sexual arousal research, further highlighted the violations of patients’ constitutional rights.
The decision to permanently close the Glenwood Resource Center comes as a result of the findings of federal investigations and reports of violations of patients’ rights at the facility. The closure will impact both the residents who will be relocated to alternative caregiving settings and the staff members who will lose their jobs. The state of Iowa is taking steps to ensure the well-being and proper care of the affected individuals as they make the transition from the Glenwood Resource Center to other community-based facilities.
