Governor Beshear Requests Review of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Complaints
Governor Beshear has asked the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to review how the Kentucky government handles reports about abuse and neglect at nursing homes, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.
As part of its special report,Voiceless and Vulnerable, the Herald-Leader examined 107 Type A citations and found that only seven of those cases led to prosecutions by the Commonwealth. Type A citations are those issued whenever a resident’s life or safety was endangered. The Governor has asked the Cabinet to review “the effectiveness of the coordination of efforts among state agencies and local prosecutors.”
When interviewed, Bernie Vonderhelde, founder of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the review was “a significant victory for the thousands of people in long-term care facilities.” According to the newspaper’s investigation, police officers as well as coroners are rarely notified of nursing home deaths or injuries.
The review comes in the wake of a decrease in the number of nursing home inspectors. In addition to potential criminal charges nursing homes and their staff may be civilly liable for abuse and neglect.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of suspected nursing home neglect or abuse you should contact an experienced attorney immediately. They might be able to help you with getting proper medical treatment, preserving necessary evidence, getting the Inspector General to investigate, and protecting the rights and interests of the victim. The attorneys of Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones represent victims of nursing home neglect and abuse. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Shawn Cantley directly by clicking here: Shawn's Mail
