Comments

BSMarcia. I certainly would not deny that there are lousy group home agencies. The first agency I worked for in 1983 eventually lost their contracts for the group homes (only after many employees left the agency and made their comments to MH/MR). In the year I was there (I switched to the agency that was running their day program) I remember countless Dr. appointments in which the Dr stated "this should have been taken care of years ago". Every one of the people I worked with had their meds drastically reduced by the end of the first year. That is really scary after what you said about their meds being drastically reduced before leaving Pennhurst. I know that the main reason the meds were reduced was because the head resident advisor (or whatever we were called in those days) was a great advocate for the people and pushed the Drs. when they didn't want to do a thorough job. I know that not every group home had a leader like her. I am not going to say that everyone who left Pennhurst had as many problems as the people I worked with but I know the people I worked with. I am not really damning Pennhurst/Pennhurst staff as I am damning the MR system as a whole. It is just as screwed up today as it was when Pennhurst was closed. Please don't take it personally as I have been part of the same system for the past 22 years.

is it possible for me to perhaps use this photo as art for my band, possibly as an album cover? our site is here

http://www.myspace.com/youshallbeasgods717

I don't want to end up any place really... creepy place... creepy place...

STUNNING!

OMG! I LOOKED AT THAT LINK AND WAS AMAZED OF HOW FABULOUS THAT PLACE ONCE WAS AND ALSO HOW SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ARE STILL HERE TODAY.

i don't think those chandeliers belong there...they look like they should be in a gothic-style castle or something...this room deserves some nicer looking crystal lighting, i think :-b
~j~

I spent a ton of time at byberry back in 1991/1992 - I actually still have a straight jacket that we took... there was so much cool stuff all over the place. it's amazing to see how much it has changed... it's totally destroyed now, quite sad. Is there a map of the buildings anywhere so I can refresh my memory?

renne has a point

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Mark is just one of the maggots that finish off the decaying body. A predator and a opportunist. He's what the world has too much of these days. Bless his little greasy soul.

Maybe shock and hydrotherapy at the same time.

Just a nice photo that portrays the natural light and the humanity of a common chair. Just nice, Motts.

Really isnt all that scary there, and in the daylight especially the only thing scary about it would be the thought of the cops catching you.

Quick question for anyone who knows (for SURE) is the morgue located in the childrens building or in this main building?
idkillu4adollar@yahoo.com

Why not lets all not be complete dorks and actually you know talk about hmm. . . . maybe the hospital and not Max.

Does anyone know a site where i could like an overview of the place, or even better a layout of the insides? We spent four hours there and couldnt locate the morgue. If you know anything helpful it'd be awesome if you could email me idkillu4adollar@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Thank you Franco for your insight. I think it's great that you've done research on Pennhurst and have a better understanding of how things were. It's funny that you felt the clients that came to you were heavily medicated because most had their meds cut drastically before leaving. And physically they were in such bad shape? Having worked day shift for a few years I know that Drs. appointments were an everyday occurrence. So that strikes me as odd. I could tell you of clients that left for group homes that did not receive as good medical care and didn't live very long on the outside.