ALBANY — Poor planning by New York State officials left disabled people “in harm’s way” when COVID-19 slammed group homes starting in 2020 — potentially driving up the death toll in the process, according to a new report.
“The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities did not issue timely, consistent guidance to the vast majority of their certified group homes,” state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said about a 43-page audit of the agency’s COVID-19 response released Thursday.
“Inconsistent emergency management coordination and oversight put residents, families and staff in harm’s way.”
A total of 657 people died from COVID-19 in facilities for the disabled overseen by the state agency between March 2020 and April 2022, with the majority happening in the first three months of the pandemic.
Agency leadership considered pandemics “as a risk” in their emergency plans before the virus arrived in New York — but the OPWDD nonetheless failed to make sure that nearly 7,000 facilities they regulate were fully prepared, according to the audit.
Just one out of 16 visited by DiNapoli’s staff had pandemic plans prior to the state of emergency declared in March 2020.
And once COVID-19 cases began popping up in group homes for the disabled, insufficient staffing and supplies of personal protective equipment like masks only made the situation worse, according to DiNapoli.
“We acknowledge that OPWDD did take some steps to protect its clients – such as offering trainings, issuing guidance, implementing a centralized personal protective equipment system within state-operated homes, and conducting targeted COVID-19 surveys at homes,” the audit states.
“However, OPWDD’s efforts to support facilities during the pandemic were more reactive than proactive, implementing corrective steps only after the need had been identified,” the audit adds.
DiNapoli also accused the agency of being “uncooperative” with his inquiries over eight months and not providing “data and access to key personnel.”
His audit recommends that the agency update emergency plans more regularly and make sure individual facilities follow them, including checking “infection control practices” during inspections.
Facilities housing disabled people were disproportionately hit hard by COVID-19 – just like nursing homes – because of the density inherent to congregate settings.
But government decision-making above the agency level likely played a big role as well in how the pandemic played out in facilities for vulnerable people.
This includes a controversial order approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo requiring facilities to house infected people that critics argue drove up infections as well as deaths in group homes for disabled people as well as nursing homes.
His successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, replaced him in the final months of the roughly two-year period covered by the audit.
Her administration has hired an outside firm to assess the state response to the pandemic with findings expected sometime in the coming months.
A Hochul spokeswoman did not provide comment on the new report by DiNapoli’s office.
“Instead of making excuses or outsourcing government duties, I hope Governor Hochul will rebuild our state capacity to take care of our most vulnerable,” Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing), a longtime critic of the state handling of the pandemic in congregate settings, told The Post Thursday.
“It’s clear we need foundational change to activate our state and counties to get back into the business of caring for disabled and older New Yorkers,” Kim added.
OPWDD spokesperson Erin Silk said the embattled agency did the best job it could controlling the coronavirus given the circumstances.
“During a global pandemic, OPWDD implemented best practice across facilities to minimize infections and satisfy state quarantine and isolation guidance, while keeping those residents in group homes safe and connected with loved ones,” Silk said.
“While the ever-changing nature of the public health emergency demanded agility in implementing New York State Department of Health and CDC guidance, OPWDD is proud of the efforts that were made to sustain continuity of services while ensuring health and safety during this unprecedented, worldwide event,” Silk added.