orient state institution-1964 need info. (Springfield, Mount Vernon: attorney, live in, legal)

[Avel]

Originally Posted by Cathy Keehan

I didn't work there but I had a brother who was there from age 7 until he was, I think, murdered there when he was 18 (1957-1965). Everytime we went to visit him he was worse and worse. They never allowed us to go back to where the people lived. A couple times I peaked through the doors to see children laying in hallways, rocking themselves. He would many times come out with scratches all over his arms and was known to bang his head against the wall.

This has been a nightmare of mine which I have never been able to resolve in my mind. I was so very happy to hear of Orient and other places like this closing.

Please let me know of any other information you may have about this institution.
Thank you

Cathy, i am so sorry, so very very sorry. I know this pain. My sister was there and I know what you saw. I have suffered terribly trying to understand, why. And why did my mother do this to my sister? It was my mother who needed to be locked up. Oh god, I am so sorry. I feel your pain, I really do. I wish I had something to offer for you, but I am trying to find out how to get proof that my sister lived there from 1961 to 1988. I can't believe I just typed those dates. So many years of her precious life there. She is safe with me now just 2 weeks. I have retired her from group homes. we have so much catching up and healing to do.

Big warm hug to you and your brother.

[Avel]

Originally Posted by bembel

I worked at Orient State Institute in 1960 and 1964 as a nurse. I worked in the hospital building and I can assure you the patients got excellent treatment and care. It was a clean, well run facility. The staff were very devoted to the patients and spent part of their pay checks on them. There was a lot of love there and I consider it one of the best jobs I had in my nursing career. Dumping everyone out on the streets literally was a very cruel thing and I have often wondered how the patients made out. I know in my heart that they were much safer and better off there in that lovely country setting. The food was excellent, we were pretty self sufficient. Someday we will return to that model of care because it was the most humane and economical and the patients were safe and well cared for. I know in the early days it was pretty bad but you must remember that those days were before there were any medications to treat patients. When they came on the market things improved for everyone.

I am sorry if I offend you, but I can't really believe you have said all of this to those of us that had family there. They were NOT well cared for. Please. Please. There may have been employees there that cared and even loved these children, but the living conditions were poor to say the least. Please don't insult those of us who saw this. I PRAY TO GOD THAT THERE IS NEVER A TIME THAT OUR COUNTY WIILL STOOP TO THIS LEVEL OF CARE FOR OUR PEOPLE. PLEASE. DON'T INSULT US, WE AND OUR FAMILY HAS SUFFERED TOO MUCH.

[Avel]

Originally Posted by CurtT

Sorry lady you are wrong. There were many people misstreated in the hell hole including myself. I remember one of the superintended as they called them if I remember right in college D made one of the patients lick up his own **** off the floor when he peed his self because the superintened wouldn't let him go to the bath room when he had to. I remember I got sexual harassed in the showers by other males many times when that superintended just turned his head and laughed. Over the years I have talked to many other people that was in there about the same time that I was and they said the same thing about other superinteneds in other college's in the hell hole. It made me cry when I heard that place was closeed back in the 70,s and I hope they never re-open it, matter of fact it should be torn down if they didn't already do so. Sorry you loss your job lady but you can blame the bad workers for that and the bad conditions people had tro go though there.

Curtis, thank you being a voice for all those who suffered there very un-necessarily. Hugs to you.

[Avel]

Originally Posted by GearHeadDave

CurtT I believe every word you say... another place similar to it was Longview in Cincinnati, it's amazing to me that anyone can justify these places. Often the people that were in there were MADE insane by the conditions, even if they were OK when they went in. The system was often used to "get rid of" problem kids and older adults. All you needed was a judge who was willing to generate the commitment papers.

Yes Dave, thank GOD Longview closed as well. If you weren't crazy when you got there, you sure where polydrugged and abused and became very ill. Shame on these systems and those that went along with the abuse. Shame.

[Avel]

Originally Posted by bembel

CurtT I am very sorry for the abuse you sustained. I do not doubt that it happened and many other abuses. I only know what it was like at the time I worked there. If you have bad people in charge then things are equally awful. Changes in laws, the advent of medications, and more employees helps always. I am not sure what years you were there but I speak for the time I was there. I did not lose my job. I moved to another state. I worked with a very high caliber of staff there who really did care for the patients very well. I only saw one instance of abuse and it was dealt with swiftly and very severely. I know there are many stories like yours and worse out there from every facility in the country. But there are also stories of mental hospitals and the staff being the only family many patients knew. Remember in the early days it was common practice to drop off your "strange acting" family member and never look back. The mental hospital system was self sufficient with the ability to raise food for all so they had their own dairy and livestock as well as the farm. They had their own power and water supplies which were very efficient. I still wonder how the patients made out in the community since the government failed to establish enough facilities to safely care for the large number of residents that were "dumped" at the time. I believe the number was around 3500. I know of one poor woman who was hit by a car and killed. Very little effort was made to find the person who killed her. We cared a lot more about her at the hospital. There she had a warm, clean bed, medical care, 3 good meals a day. I hope you find some help to heal your scars and can use your experiences to help others. Peace

By the grace of God, my sister made it our alive. Just alive. it has taken many years to rehab her from the abuse. Still people won't do for her, what they may do for an un-ill person..... it's just sad, very very sad.

[jim new]

I had a brother who lived in Cottage D, and for awhile in C and/or A....from about 1958 or 59 through closing, I believe. I have a lot of questions, but i don't know who to speak with. My brother's name was Kenny. I can't say that he was abused, but we were suspicious of a degree of neglect from time to time....

[Avel]

Hi Jim. Thanks for posting. My sister went in OS mid 60's. I don't know how my parents did it. I am as I type listening to the CD that someone recommends on this thread: "Lest We Forget Spoken Stories". Brings back some sad memories.

May I ask about your brother, is he still with us? My sister now lives with me finally in a safe, clean home.

[jim new]

Originally Posted by Avel

Hi Jim. Thanks for posting. My sister went in OS mid 60's. I don't know how my parents did it. I am as I type listening to the CD that someone recommends on this thread: "Lest We Forget Spoken Stories". Brings back some sad memories.

May I ask about your brother, is he still with us? My sister now lives with me finally in a safe, clean home.

My brother, Kenny, has just passed away after a 60 year walk that none of us can imagine, I suppose.....except for those who have provided health care to those like him, or lived "in his shoes (circumstances)". As his junior brother, I watched him make the transition in his 20's, from institutional care there, at Orient, to group home care in Cincinnati during the 70's and early 80's, and finally to superior care in group homes with frequent family contact in Tennessee, for the last quarter century of his life. He was an amazing miracle, and a "terrestrial angel" to me.....a term I have coined for him.....I am writing a book about his life, but I have very little information on Orient, except for my own ignorant biases from the horrifying years we spent visiting him at the Cottage. Can you possibly share your cd with me? I would be glad to reimburse your expenses, if they are reasonable?.....Can you tell me how to access that cd? Thank you, and bless you for answering my post!

[Avel]

Originally Posted by jim new

My brother, Kenny, has just passed away after a 60 year walk that none of us can imagine, I suppose.....except for those who have provided health care to those like him, or lived "in his shoes (circumstances)". As his junior brother, I watched him make the transition in his 20's, from institutional care there, at Orient, to group home care in Cincinnati during the 70's and early 80's, and finally to superior care in group homes with frequent family contact in Tennessee, for the last quarter century of his life. He was an amazing miracle, and a "terrestrial angel" to me.....a term I have coined for him.....I am writing a book about his life, but I have very little information on Orient, except for my own ignorant biases from the horrifying years we spent visiting him at the Cottage. Can you possibly share your cd with me? I would be glad to reimburse your expenses, if they are reasonable?.....Can you tell me how to access that cd? Thank you, and bless you for answering my post!

Hello again Jim, good to hear back from you. I am sorry to hear of your loss. Yes, Kenny is a terrestrial angel, and so is my sister Zona. Who can encounter her and take her in, will know this as well. No so many do. In my hardest of times of suffering over her, I have seen her without her "physical" and she is well. She only has a limited vocabulary, but all her words are filled with pure Love. I understand your loss. I'm so sorry.

I am wondering where Kenny lived in Cincinnati? Zona lived in Cincy too. They used to socialize with several of the group homes with the men for holiday parties. I met many.

The CD you can purchase on line. I will look for the link for you. I think it was $15. It is beautiful. The music is gorgeous. The man who did all the interviewing and singing, is sending me a cd of his. YOu can contact me directly here if you want and I will see if i can copy it and send it to you. Im sure he would love to hear from you as well. I'm not sure if i am allowed to put my email here, so i will try to private message you here.

[DonH57]

Is there any way to find out what position a relative who worked there held? Only interested in finding out job title.