Gov. Beshear Orders Changes to Better Investigate and Prosecute Crimes Against Adults in Nursing Homes

In a most significant happening recently, Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky accepted a comprehensive report from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services ("CHFS") on nursing home investigation processes for reporting incidents of neglect or abuse. The Governor directed that the Secretary's recommendations be immediately implemented to curb nursing home abuse as the review was an important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of thousands of Kentuckians in the state's nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

These changes will hopefully send a message to nursing home operators, especially big corporations, that it is not acceptable to put profits before people. The Governor's orders include more training for law enforcement officials and prosecutors on elder abuse and neglect. The Governor asked for the review after a newspaper investigation questioned the effectiveness of the current process of reporting and prosecuting cases of nursing home abuse and neglect, which included reports that only seven of 107 serious citations issued at Kentucky nursing homes over a three-year period were prosecuted as crimes. The citations involved 18 deaths, 30 hospitalizations, five broken bones, and two amputations, as reported by the Lexington-Herald Leader.

Nursing home residents deserve attentive, dignified care, and we hope that these orders will bring about the necessary changes to ensure providing our retired or elderly residents & their families with the proper and constant level of attention and care they deserve, expect, and pay for.

If you suspect that you or a loved one have suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home, you should immediately contact the lawyers at Gray and White Law for your free legal consultation. We are ready to learn more about your case, contact us toll-free at 1-800-634-8767 or by e-mail at mwhite@grayandwhitelaw.com.