A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would restrict how information about a nursing home’s safety and health violations could be broadcast or published.

 

Senate Bill 205, approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, would prohibit advertisers from mentioning deficiencies found at a nursing home by state inspectors unless they give equal prominence to the dates of the citations, the home’s corrective plans and whether the problems later were found to be resolved.

 

After the hearing, a longtime critic of the nursing home industry called the bill “pitiful.”

 

“This is just more of the trash the nursing home industry thinks up and tries to get past the legislature in order to impede progress in improving the quality of life for its residents,” said Bernie Vonderheide, founder of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.

 

“Obviously, the industry is stung by these ads because the truth hurts,” Vonderheide said. “They don’t want to have their own records of wrongful conduct thrown back in their faces. Nobody’s even pretending that this information is inaccurate; it’s just embarrassing to the nursing homes.”

 

Senators supporting SB 205 cited the specific example of full-page newspaper advertisements by the law firm of Wilkes & McHugh, which sometimes identify nursing homes by name and address, listing the problems uncovered there by state inspectors. The firm includes its toll-free number and email address at the bottom of the ad “if someone you love” has been a resident at the home in question.

 

Bill would restrict how nursing home violations could be publicized | Lexington Herald-Leader

Nursing homes, why do so many of them have to be such crooks.

Nursing homes, why do so many of them have to be such crooks.

If nursing homes were ran as well as jails or prisons the level of care would skyrocket.

Father was in 2 different nursing homes. The first one on my visit to check it out showed me what they said were a couple of standard rooms. They gave me a full tour of the facilities on the first floor and said that each floor had the same rec areas and facilities and that the rooms were the same through out. Everything looked clean and new.

 

Dad went there a few days later. When I got off of the elevator on the 3rd floor the smell of urine would just about knock you down. Unlike the first floor's nurses station that had a couple of nurses and was clean and organized the one on the 3rd floor was dirty and unstaffed. Dad's room was clean but you couldn't escape that smell. There was a small store across the street from the home and I left dad a few dollars in case his sister came to visit and he wanted a snack or treat from the store. He could just have her go to the store for him. On his first night there an attendant stole the money out of his drawer. When I complained I was told that the paperwork we signed reminded us that they didn't encourage anyone keeping money in their room. Basically that it was our fault that it was stolen.

 

Dad said he could ring his call bell to go to the rest room and they would never answer. Only time they would answer was if he had a visitor. I snuck up the back stairway to his room and sat back in the corner so that the staff never knew I was there. He rang his call bell 20 times in 3 hours and no one ever came. I walked out into the hall where they could see me and got a drink of water. I went back to his room...he then rang the bell and within 1 minute they were there.

 

I got him moved to another one ASAP. The second one was completely different and provided good care.

 

In short I have ZERO sympathy for Nursing Homes that are ran poorly.

Father was in 2 different nursing homes. The first one on my visit to check it out showed me what they said were a couple of standard rooms. They gave me a full tour of the facilities on the first floor and said that each floor had the same rec areas and facilities and that the rooms were the same through out. Everything looked clean and new.

 

Dad went there a few days later. When I got off of the elevator on the 3rd floor the smell of urine would just about knock you down. Unlike the first floor's nurses station that had a couple of nurses and was clean and organized the one on the 3rd floor was dirty and unstaffed. Dad's room was clean but you couldn't escape that smell. There was a small store across the street from the home and I left dad a few dollars in case his sister came to visit and he wanted a snack or treat from the store. He could just have her go to the store for him. On his first night there an attendant stole the money out of his drawer. When I complained I was told that the paperwork we signed reminded us that they didn't encourage anyone keeping money in their room. Basically that it was our fault that it was stolen.

 

Dad said he could ring his call bell to go to the rest room and they would never answer. Only time they would answer was if he had a visitor. I snuck up the back stairway to his room and sat back in the corner so that the staff never knew I was there. He rang his call bell 20 times in 3 hours and no one ever came. I walked out into the hall where they could see me and got a drink of water. I went back to his room...he then rang the bell and within 1 minute they were there.

 

I got him moved to another one ASAP. The second one was completely different and provided good care.

 

In short I have ZERO sympathy for Nursing Homes that are ran poorly.

 

:thumb::thumb::thumb: LIKE

 

With my ongoing health issues I REALLY fear this is where I'm headed. It's just a damn shame that we treat our elderly like this, like cattle for money. Hell come to think of it, the cattle get treated better!

 

Then we get dumbfounded when we read about 80-year-old John Doe in bad health who shot Mrs. Doe who is bedridden and then himself. God forgive me but in my mind this is why.

A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would restrict how information about a nursing home’s safety and health violations could be broadcast or published.

 

Senate Bill 205, approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, would prohibit advertisers from mentioning deficiencies found at a nursing home by state inspectors unless they give equal prominence to the dates of the citations, the home’s corrective plans and whether the problems later were found to be resolved.

 

After the hearing, a longtime critic of the nursing home industry called the bill “pitiful.”

 

“This is just more of the trash the nursing home industry thinks up and tries to get past the legislature in order to impede progress in improving the quality of life for its residents,” said Bernie Vonderheide, founder of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.

 

“Obviously, the industry is stung by these ads because the truth hurts,” Vonderheide said. “They don’t want to have their own records of wrongful conduct thrown back in their faces. Nobody’s even pretending that this information is inaccurate; it’s just embarrassing to the nursing homes.”

 

Senators supporting SB 205 cited the specific example of full-page newspaper advertisements by the law firm of Wilkes & McHugh, which sometimes identify nursing homes by name and address, listing the problems uncovered there by state inspectors. The firm includes its toll-free number and email address at the bottom of the ad “if someone you love” has been a resident at the home in question.

 

Bill would restrict how nursing home violations could be publicized | Lexington Herald-Leader

 

I wonder what percentage of nursing home residents vote.

What am I missing? What is wrong with having to give complete information?

 

"Senate Bill 205, approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, would prohibit advertisers from mentioning deficiencies found at a nursing home by state inspectors unless they give equal prominence to the dates of the citations, the home’s corrective plans and whether the problems later were found to be resolved."

 

I would think this would be valuable. The citation, the date, the corrective plans and the final resolution would all be something I would take into account when making a decision on where I or a loved one would go. The many bad ones would still be publicized by not having a plan or resolution and the ones that may have improved from an old citation would be noted.

I wonder what percentage of nursing home residents vote.

 

If we could put men on the moon 50 years ago we should have the technology to ensure everyone of them has ample opportunity to vote.

 

And I bet I know how all of them would vote on an issue like this.

What am I missing? What is wrong with having to give complete information?

 

"Senate Bill 205, approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, would prohibit advertisers from mentioning deficiencies found at a nursing home by state inspectors unless they give equal prominence to the dates of the citations, the home’s corrective plans and whether the problems later were found to be resolved."

 

I would think this would be valuable. The citation, the date, the corrective plans and the final resolution would all be something I would take into account when making a decision on where I or a loved one would go. The many bad ones would still be publicized by not having a plan or resolution and the ones that may have improved from an old citation would be noted.

 

In other words you want to add conditions to free speech.

 

If the Nursing Homes want to advertise, let them, this is just an end around so Nursing Homes can abuse/neglect patients and not have to pay up.

In other words you want to add conditions to free speech.

 

If the Nursing Homes want to advertise, let them, this is just an end around so Nursing Homes can abuse/neglect patients and not have to pay up.

 

No, I would like full information presented with that free speech. How would it be an end around? The violations would still be publicized and if the place had not made corrections that could and should be emphasized. That would make the place look even worse. However, if a violation from several years back had been corrected that too would be publicized. Just not seeing a downside.

No, I would like full information presented with that free speech. How would it be an end around? The violations would still be publicized and if the place had not made corrections that could and should be emphasized. That would make the place look even worse. However, if a violation from several years back had been corrected that too would be publicized. Just not seeing a downside.

 

The Nursing Home Lobby is using this legislation as an end around to keep victims of their abuse/neglect from taking legal action against them.

 

Full information? LOL

The Nursing Home Lobby is using this legislation as an end around to keep victims of their abuse/neglect from taking legal action against them.

 

Full information? LOL

 

How would it prevent taking action? Seems to me it would highlight those who need targeting while preventing action against those who fixed their issues.

I'm torn. I loathe the law firm adverts being targeted, but I also have seen first hand how the health industry lobby has manipulated the regulatory scheme to cover up malfeasance and substandard care.

How would it prevent taking action? Seems to me it would highlight those who need targeting while preventing action against those who fixed their issues.

 

You're right, it's Senate Bill 6 that attempts to mute the victims & limits the patient's rights -- not necessarily SB 205 -- but that is likely a topic for another thread.

 

Another Year, Another Push for Medical Review Panels in Kentucky | Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting

How would it prevent taking action? Seems to me it would highlight those who need targeting while preventing action against those who fixed their issues.

 

By helping to eliminate legal advertisements informing patients about misconduct on the part of Nursing Homes.

 

And for the record I don't see how the law would ever stand up to court challenge. If we are going to make someone do this, then I guess the next step is any political campaign running a negative ad about an opponent will have to include all the positives about them too.

 

Finally, maybe if so many Nursing Homes weren't so corrupt we wouldn't even be discussing this sham legislation. But I am glad to see Bevin's Boys are working on another great piece of legislation for the Commonwealth. After all, screw the little guy, we need to protect big business.