State of Kentucky Nursing Homes
News last week that Madison Manor in Richmond, KY might lose its Medicare/Medicaid certification drew the attention of nursing home advocates and our KY nursing home abuse lawyers at the Higgins Firm.
A year-long study concluded last August by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) listed Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex – a.k.a. Madison Manor – among the worst nursing homes in the nation.
Madison Manor nursing home was not alone.
The report found nearly 4% of the nation’s roughly 16,000 nursing homes could be considered to provide substandard care, defined as failing to meet even the minimum requirements required of nursing homes to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Nine other Kentucky nursing homes were part of this 4% worst in the nation with one KY nursing home (undisclosed) determined to be the second worst in the nation. The report also found that only 15 states had more poorly performing nursing homes than Kentucky.
More interesting, the GAO study found that chain-affiliated and for-profit nursing homes, on average, provided worse care, further support for Nursing Home Ownership May Determine Abuse. The reason is a correlation between chain and for-profit nursing homes and the bed-to-resident ratio and registered nurse-to-resident ratio, nearly 24% fewer.
Reporters digging deeper into the report find that the ten Kentucky nursing homes named in the report had also been cited by state inspectors for causing or posing a substantial risk of death or serious physical harm to their nursing home residents. Three of the ten Kentucky nursing homes (Madison Manor; Britthaven, Somerset; and Cambridge Place, Lexington) are on both the GAO list and a list of chronically troubled nursing homes compiled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services called the Special Focus Facilities list.
The regional director of operations for the nursing home corporation that owns Madison Manor, Extendicare, replied to the report stating that Madison Manor is now in substantial compliance with Kentucky and federal regulations.
Other Kentucky nursing homes making the GAO’s poor performance list include:
Salyersville Health Care Center, Salyersville; Villaspring, Erlanger; Pembroke Nursing Home, Pembroke; Arbor Place, Clinton; and Harborside Healthcare Nursing Homes, Florence, Madisonville and Owensboro
Author Bio
Jim Higgins, founder of the Higgins Firm, is a seasoned personal injury attorney with deep roots in Nashville, Tennessee. A 4th generation Nashvillian, Jim carries on the legal legacy of his father, a judge for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Memphis School of Law, Jim’s career began on the other side of the courtroom, defending insurance companies and learning their tactics for minimizing settlements. However, he soon realized his true calling was fighting for the rights of the injured, and for the past several years, he has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Since then, his dedication and skill have earned him membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia, Jim focuses on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. His exceptional work has been recognized by his peers, earning him a spot on the Super Lawyers list from 2021 to 2024, a distinction awarded to only a select group of accomplished attorneys in each state.
