New Kentucky Law Requires Screening for Nursing Home Residents
In Kentucky a death of a resident in a nursing home resulted in two lawmakers filing bills that would require people to be screened before being admitted to one of the facilities. This is a positive outcome of a bad situation. This type of bill can help protect thousands of residents in the future.
Many nursing homes provide long-term care for people who do not need full-time nursing care but need some assistance. Some patients who reside in nursing homes suffer from mental illness or they are mentally disabled. A man who was schizophrenic, bipolar and diabetic, suddenly went missing from his personal care home and was later found dead near the banks near a river about four weeks later.The week later, the state representative introduced legislation in his memory.
If the House bill 307 is approved by the General Assembly it will be known as Larry’s Law and it would require an individual to be examined and assessed by a medical official before they were admitted to a personal care home. It would measure the degree of disability of an individual before being considered for placement. Another state representative filed Senate Bill 115, which would require and evaluation by a qualified mental health professional before someone enters a personal care home. The state would end up paying for the assessments because individual care home could not afford them.
This can be a positive step for families who are seeking a nursing home for their loved ones who suffer from mental illnesses. These extra assessments can provide your family with more peace of mind that they are placing their loved one in an environment that can care for them.
