If federal government would impose strict annual inspections and reporting on nursing homes, the sufferings of many elderly, disabled and dependent adults would be put to an end, and no one has to experience nursing home abuse or has to die each year.

Memphis, TN -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/01/2014 -- Recent reports that show the great overall improvement of Kentucky nursing homes over a year is not enough to cease the battle if the problems in relation to nursing home care still persist.

Although Kentucky have showed a promising inclusive development, strict and vigilant annual on-site inspections and federal reporting should be done to ensure that nursing homes are complying with federal and state requirements and that proper nursing home care continuously function especially on nursing homes in Kentucky.

Based on the annual Nursing Home Report Card as produced by Families for a Better Care (a non-profit consumer group and nursing home resident advocacy group) for nursing homes, Kentucky was able to improve its rank from #40 of the previous year to #30 for 2014 - which is considered as the most significant jumps in the year's evaluation.

Out of the eight criteria that were used in determining the state's rating, Kentucky managed to show five improvement out of the eight areas examined. Significant improvement were made mostly in the number of nursing homes with above-average health inspections (10% increases), and the number of professional nursing hours per resident, per day which showed a 13% increase.

However, further attention should be given as the Kentucky Ombudsman has verified that 87.74% of nursing home complaints were recognized, which is an almost 5% increase from 2013, and nearly 20% of Kentucky nursing homes were cited for at least one severe deficiency in 2014 (which should post as a warning that immediate action is needed to improve the nursing home care provided to the resident patients).

Moreover, it was estimated that between one (1) to (two) 2 million Americans age 65 or older, numerous were abused including those living in nursing home neglect Kentucky. Though, nursing home residents have rights and certain protections under the law, it is not enough to fully improve the nursing home care unless strict federal inspection and assessment would take place.

Careful inspections and reporting are highly requested to avoid incidents like what had Center for Public Integrity has reported recently wherein one nursing home executive allegedly admitted that "staffing hours will be a little high this week but will drop the following week, which would reflect to inaccuracy in the staffing level and direct care time. Therefore, such inaccuracy would be susceptible to inflation of reported staffing levels that will affect the credibility of the results from annual inspections.

Another answer to improve the resident's safety and quality of care, as Families with Better Care has suggested, "is by hiring more qualified and highly trained staff to increase individual time with each resident". Staffing level inflation would be prevented if payroll data reported to Medicaid will be used in the analysis of staff levels which can provide more accurate quarterly reports based on financial data which the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has referred as the "gold standard".

Any violation and damage made to the rights of resident patients of nursing home neglect Kentucky should be penalized as Kentucky Nursing Home Justice, a team of lawyers who seeks justice for neglected nursing homes, deals this matter as a serious business for many got injured or die each year due to negligence of many nursing homes who make profit and take federal money out from resident patients rather than taking care of them.

Truly, if federal government would impose strict annual inspections and reporting on nursing homes, the sufferings of many elderly, disabled and dependent adults would be put to an end, and no one has to experience nursing home abuse or has to die each year.

About Kentucky Nursing Home Justice
Kentucky Nursing Home Justice is a team ready and willing to help people achieve justice in Kentucky. Their team includes attorneys licensed in a number of states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia. Members of their team have represented clients in states across the country, from California to New Hampshire, and from Michigan to Florida, with places in between. They have assisted in obtaining relief for persons across the country, with members of their team assisting in obtaining multiple trial verdicts of One Million Dollars or more. They regularly try lawsuits – they work long hours. They welcome the chance to try and help any person in need of legal assistance.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The main stand of those who are pro-Grannycam bill is that if there is no abuse, there is no point for these nursing homes to fear the bill. However, critics of the said proposal remain firm in their stand that surveillance cameras in nursing homes would only make it more difficult for the industry to encourage competent people to work in such demanding and low-earning work environment.

Memphis, TN -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/20/2014 -- Are there legal implications associated with using hidden cameras to spy on probable cases of abuse in nursing homes? Would capturing a nursing home abuse outweigh privacy concerns of residents and employees of nursing homes?

As can be remembered, on February of this year, Maryland legislature held hearings on a bill that would give rights to nursing home residents to install video cameras in their rooms for detection and prevention of nursing home abuse. A number of supporters such as Maryland delegate Susan Hecht expressed their favor of the said bill which is called the "Grannybill".

The Root Cause

Based on the statistics released by the federal government, there are more than one out of four nursing homes which are threatening the health of their patients because of their substandard care. With approximately 1.6 million people residing in about 17,000 nursing homes all over the US, it's alarming to note the high percentage of those who are experiencing nursing home abuse.

The Bill

The bill obliged nursing homes to allow such kind of monitoring if the resident requests for it and it should never the a cause of non-admittance. The bill also proposes rules to protect the privacy of third parties like shared rooms where other residents must also be sought for permission. There should also be warning signs for the visitors informing them that the room is under video surveillance. In the said bill, it is the residents or the families of the residents who would shoulder the costs of the installation of the equipment.

Protests

It is expected for the nursing home industry to object to the said bill. Apart from privacy concerns, spokespersons of the said industry fear that this proposal would lessen the number of people who are seeking nursing home jobs. According to the President of the American Health Care Association Dr. Charles Roadman, video cameras and surveillance activities imperil the trust between caregivers and patients. According to Dr. Roadman, "Placing a camera in a room is often the action of someone looking to sue," he said in a statement issued last year. "Moving a patient to a safe location or taking other immediate steps is the reaction of someone who cares. Cameras can also have the effect of unduly disrupting a positive, trusting relationship between a patient and caregivers and can interfere with their therapeutic relationship as well. It is important to understand that in a nursing home a great deal of intimate care takes place at the patient's bedside."

Whose Side Will Win?

The main stand of those who are pro-Grannycam bill is that if there is no abuse, there is no point for these nursing homes to fear the bill. However, critics of the said proposal remain firm in their stand that surveillance cameras in nursing homes would only make it more difficult for the industry to encourage competent people to work in such demanding and low-earning work environment.

Kentucky Nursing Home Justice gives great insights about this issue about using spy cameras to prevent incidents of nursing home abuse. Don't fear to seek help from them if there is any relative or friend who is potentially experiencing the same kind of abuse in nursing homes. Anyone who is knowledgeable about any incident of nursing home abuse in Kentucky knows who to contact in this critical condition.

About Kentucky Nursing Home Justice
Kentucky Nursing Home Justice is a team ready and willing to help people achieve justice in Kentucky. Their team includes attorneys licensed in a number of states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia. Members of their team have represented clients in states across the country, from California to New Hampshire, and from Michigan to Florida, with places in between. They have assisted in obtaining relief for persons across the country, with members of their team assisting in obtaining multiple trial verdicts of One Million Dollars or more. They regularly try lawsuits – they work long hours. They welcome the chance to try and help any person in need of legal assistance.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm