Nursing Home Staff-to-Resident Minimums Urged After Resident Death

According to a consumer advocacy group, staffing levels are dangerously low at some Kentucky long-term care facilities, raising concerns about the risk of nursing home neglect and abuse by overwhelmed staff. 

Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform are calling on Governor Steve Beshear to push an executive order that would place a minimum nursing home staff-to-resident ratio at every long-term care facility in the state.

The request came after the death of a brain injured nursing home resident, Joseph Larry Lee, who walked out of Falmouth Nursing Home undetected and was found dead near a local river weeks later.

Did You Know?

Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled

Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.

Learn More

The group is asking Governor Bashear to call an emergency session of the state’s general assembly, but officials from the Governor’s office have balked at the idea, indicating that the situation does not merit that kind of emergency. Calling a special session would reportedly require a five day minimum, at a cost of $300,000 per day to taxpayers. Instead, Beshear’s spokespeople said the issue should be brought up when regular sessions resume in January.

Understaffing is a problem at nursing homes throughout the United States, and it is often cited as a significant contributing factor in many nursing home negligence lawsuits. Previous studies have drawn a direct connection between nursing home staff levels and the quality of care received by residents.

0 Comments

"*" indicates required fields

Share Your Comments

I authorize the above comments be posted on this page*

Have Your Comments Reviewed by a Lawyer

Provide additional contact information if you want an attorney to review your comments and contact you about a potential case. This information will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

More Top Stories

Bard Argues Hernia Mesh Lawsuits Previously Selected for Bellwether Trials Are No Longer
Bard Argues Hernia Mesh Lawsuits Previously Selected for Bellwether Trials Are No Longer "Representative" (Posted 4 days ago)

Bard claims two cases selected for the third and fourth bellwether trials are no longer representative of the litigation due to the plaintiffs' worsening injuries and need for additional surgeries due to their failed hernia mesh products.