Agreement will move at least 600 from personal-care homes to community mental health facilities

At least 600 people now in personal-care homes will be moved to community-based settings under "an agreement that advocates say will systematically change the way community mental health services are delivered in Kentucky, improving the lives of hundreds of people with mental illnesses and disabilities," Beth Musgrave reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Stories by the Herald-Leader and investigations by Protection and Advocacy, a state agency for the disabled and mentally ill, "found that personal care homes often are an ill-equipped last resort for people with complex problems such as substance abuse, mental illness or a mental disability," Musgrave writes. "Past problems at personal care homes have included criminal arrests of operators for stealing money from residents, lack of food, poor medical care and deaths" when residents walked away from homes in Letcher and Pendleton counties.

The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services estimates that the changes will cost $19 million over the next three years, and it said the money would come from the budget for housing people in mental hospitals. "Under the agreement, people can use their state supplement of $520 a month for services that will keep them out of a personal care home. Under the current system, a person can receive the supplement only if they live in a personal care home," Musgrave writes. "That change will affect anyone who is eligible for personal care home services, not just the 600 people who will get additional services under the agreement." The cabinet will have until October 2014 to move the first 100 personal-care-home residents. (Read more)

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Ex-boss of defunct Jenkins personal-care home accepts federal plea deal; he and relatives still face state charges

"The former administrator of a Letcher County personal-care home that was recently shut down by the state pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to a charge that he took thousands of dollars from residents," Valarie Honeycutt Spears reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

James F. "Chum" Tackett of Jenkins accepted a prison sentence of two years and two days in prison, and agreed to repay $113,547 that he admitted embezzeling from the federal benefits of residents at the Golden Years Nursing Home. He still faces state charges, including felony theft. His daughter has been charged with failure to make required disposition of property, in relation to the home, and his grandson, who succeeded him as administrator, has been charged with bribing a witness and other felonies. (Read more) 

Second death in five years raises questions about placement of mentally ill Kentuckians in personal-care homes

The second death in five years of a mentally ill person who has walked out of a personal care home has "prompted advocates for the brain injured and the mentally ill to question whether personal care homes, which do not provide skilled nursing care, are the appropriate place to house people who have serious, chronic and complex problems," Beth Musgrave and Valarie Honeycutt Spears report for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Larry Joe Lee, 32, who "had a brain injury, was schizophrenic, bipolar and diabetic," was found dead in after walking away from the Falmouth Nursing Home, the writers note. "In 2007, Larry Bruce Huff, 64, who had schizophrenia and a history of alcoholism, walked away from Golden Years Rest Home in Letcher County and later froze to death." The state closed Golden Years last week, and legislators say they will address the overall problem in the 2012 General Assembly.

"Personal care homes provide long-term care for people who do not need full-time nursing home care but need some assistance," the newspaper explains. "They receive a small state stipend and social security disability — $1,194 a month — to provide services to a complex population that includes the mentally ill, mentally disabled and even those who have recently been released from prison. There are 82 free-standing personal care homes in Kentucky serving more than 3,000 people." (Read more)

Poor conditions found at Letcher County personal-care home

State inspectors found pitiable conditions when they visited Golden Years Rest Home, right, in Letcher County in December, the Lexington Herald-Leader's Beth Musgrave and Valarie Honeycutt-Spears report.

Kool-Aid dripping on insulin bottles, expired medications and a hallway smelling of urine and feces were among the conditions found at the personal-care home in December. Inspectors also learned the home's 35 residents could only bathe every other day because of a lack of linens, and there was no milk because the bill hadn't been paid in a month.

"Quite frankly, if children were living in the same conditions that are found at some, but not all, personal care homes, we would never tolerate it," Marsha Hockensmith, state director of protection and advocacy, told the Herald-Leader. The sub-standard conditions found at Golden Years are the latest to be discovered in personal-care homes in the state. (Read more)