By Kimberly Redmond | NJ Advance Media, for NJ.com
Sen. Richard Codey made an unannounced visit to a boarding home in Dover on Tuesday afternoon after receiving complaints about domestic violence and filthy living conditions at the facility, which primarily serves veterans.
Hillside Manor, on Orchard Street, is home to 14 tenants, all of whom are older than 60, and many of whom served in the military and now face some type of psychological issue.
Police Chief Harold Valentine said the property, which is operated by Laurie Taplin, is well-known to police officers who respond to the home about once a month on calls ranging from “assault to, quite frequently, mental health issues.”
Amid concerns about the health and well-being of the tenants, Codey (D-Essex) led the visit around 4:30 p.m., along with police officers, municipal inspectors, board of health officials and reporters. Inside the three-floor home were several rooms with partial walls that had wires hanging over them, cluttered areas, and no air-conditioning units.
“One of the main issues here is that there’s no air-conditioning and for people on certain mental health drugs, that’s the worst thing that could happen to them; it could be potentially fatal,” said Robert Davison, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Essex County, who accompanied Codey.
Temperatures inside the home hit 94 degrees Tuesday afternoon, according to temperature readings taken by Codey, police officers and a zoning official. The heat “definitely appeared to have an effect on some” of the occupants, said Dover’s Public Health Nurse Claudia Choto, who also was on site. Choto said seven of the 14 tenants agreed to have their vital signs checked. None of the tenants required additional medical evaluation at a hospital, and none of the tenants had to be evacuated.
“It’s poorly run and an embarrassment,” Codey said of the home. “Especially when you realize a lot of these gentlemen are veterans. Someone has to be watching this.”
The senator has been pushing on the state level for changes to improve living conditions at state residential facilities and boarding houses. Among those efforts, Codey has co-sponsored a bill to require the Department of Community Affairs to post inspection reports online for residential healthcare facilities, boarding homes and emergency shelters for the homeless.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously in June and and the Assembly has since introduced an accompanying bill, Codey said.
While licensing for boarding homes falls under the state’s responsibility, the municipality where the home is located controls enforcement of building and health codes, which is why Codey said he conducts these “raid-like” visits.
This was the fourth time Codey has done a surprise visit with municipal officials and reporters in tow. The former governor is one of the state’s leading advocates for residents with developmental disabilities and a critic of poor living conditions at boarding homes and residential health care facilities.
In March, he coordinated a surprise raid of a Newark boarding home that resulted in the relocation of 47 occupants due to health violations and fire safety issues, according to The Star-Ledger.
Taplin, who told officials during the visit that her facility was inspected by the DCA within the past two months, became confrontational with Codey during the visit, calling him “a putz” and demanding he leave. Taplin claimed the DCA found no issues at the home during its inspection, but that could not be immediately corroborated since the visit occurred after business hours.
The DCA confirmed that it is in charge of licensing and regulating boarding houses, such as Hillside Manor, but the agency’s spokeswoman Lisa Ryan would not specifically comment on the circumstances at the facility in Dover.
“The state said it was fine and this is overkill for a little home,” Taplin said of Codey’s visit.
Zoning Official William Isselin said Taplin will be issued several property maintenance violations, as well as summonses for performing construction without proper permits. She will be given 30 days to rectify issues such as general clean-up, patching holes in the ceilings and walls, and electrical repairs, he said.
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