Homeless Man Moved From Hospital to Group Home

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A 63-year-old Nashville man,  who has been homeless for two decades, has been transferred from Vanderbilt University Hospital to a group home under the provisions of a new state law governing conservatorships.
Court records show Ronald Carter, who had been a patient at Vanderbilt for over a month, was sent to a group home by a court appointed fiduciary following a recent hearing.
The court was acting on a petition filed by Vanderbilt seeking to have Carter discharged over his objections.
Probate Judge David "Randy" Kennedy also issued an order in mid-July appointing Carter's brother and sister as co-conservators.
The relatives were located, according to court filings, by Anthony Burns, who had been appointed by Kennedy to serve as Carter's healthcare fiduciary. Vanderbilt had stated in its filing that Carter's relatives could not be located.
The petition is one of several to be filed by local hospitals following the passage of a new conservatorship law in 2013. A last minute addition to that law carved out a special process for hospital administrators to seek the discharge of patients that they believed no longer needed hospitalization but lacked the capacity to make such a decision.
Records show most of the patients who have become subjects of the petitions are homeless.
Though the law only provides for a temporary conservatorship in such cases, Carter was eventually placed in a permanent conservatorship because of his condition.
Court records show Carter was admitted to Vanderbilt on April 26 for treatment of pneumonia. It was his fourth admission in the prior year.
In its original petition Vanderbilt attorneys said Carter was in need of a temporary conservator because his cognitive functions were "severely impaired."
In addition to Burns, Kennedy appointed April Jackson to act as an advocate for Carter.
Both Jackson and Burns have submitted bills for their services which, according to a ruling by Kennedy, will be charged to Vanderbilt. Burns submitted a bill for $3,075, while Jackson sought $2,045. Both charged $150 an hour.
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