An Owensboro facility is among six Kentucky nursing homes named in a federal report as having poor safety records.
A report shared this week with the Senate Special Committee on Aging named 400 nursing homes across the nation with a 'persistent record of poor care.' The Courier-Journal reports that the facilities had previously not been identified publicly.
Among them is the Twin Rivers Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Owensboro. Since 2017, it’s been designated as a “Special Focus” facility, which investigators frequently monitor to resolve violations. Without improvements, the facility can have Medicare and Medicaid funding revoked.
According to a review of state records, Twin Rivers has been cited in the past for unattended medication carts and lack of confidentiality of patient records. The nursing home has also committed fire safety violations that included a fire inside a resident’s room and an inadequate sprinkler system. In another violation, a nurse applied a Fentanyl patch to patient without removing the old one, which caused the patient to become over-sedated and unresponsive.
According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Twin Rivers has failed or received poor marks during inspections in three of the past five years. While the nursing home has never lost federal reimbursements, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has imposed fines on Twin Rivers.
WKU Public Radio contacted Twin Rivers on Wednesday seeking comment from the nursing home's administrators. An unidentified employee stated, "Ain't gonna happen," and said their attorneys had advised them against speaking to the media.
Other Kentucky nursing homes on the list include:
- Klondike Center, Louisville
- Springhurst Health and Rehabilitation Center, Louisville
- River Haven Nursing and Rehababilitation Center, Paducah
- Woodcrest Nursing and Rehabilitation, Elsemere
- Mountain Manor of Paintsville, Paintsville
