St. Joseph County commissioners say they won’t move any more Portage Manor residents to a Gary assisted living facility after learning about a “disturbing” and “alarming” incident there.
It occurred at Miller Beach Terrace, one of three assisted living facilities that commissioners have said is accepting eligible Portage Manor residents. Commissioners want to permanently close Portage Manor, which houses and cares for people with disabilities and low incomes, by July 31 to achieve cost savings.
In a press release they issued late Thursday night, commissioners said they’ll ask Indiana health officials to let three people who’ve recently been moved from Portage Manor to Millers Beach Terrace, to return to Portage Manor.
Their press release provided no information on the incident but stated it happened before the three Portage Manor residents were moved there.
Commissioners said Millers Beach Terrace administrators didn’t tell Portage Manor staff about the incident. They said the residents wouldn’t have been transferred to the facility if Portage Manor staff had known about it.
The commissioners’ release states they have reported the incident to Adult Protective Services and the Indiana State Department of Health. They also informed the residents’ families.
To no avail, residents’ families have pleaded with commissioners not to close Portage Manor, and if they do close it, to at least keep the residents together because they regard each other as family.
