Published: November 23, 2009 07:09 pm      

Britthaven tabbed as one of worst nursing homes in nation

Somerset — Britthaven of Somerset has garnered national attention recently, although it’s not the kind of attention a nursing home would desire.

A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office lists the local nursing home as one of the worst in the country.

Nine other nursing homes in the state were included on the list — Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex - Madison (also known as Madison Manor) in Richmond, Cambridge Place in Lexington, Salyersville Health Care Center in Salyersville, Villaspring in Erlanger, Pembroke Nursing Home in Pembroke, Arbor Place in Clinton, and Harborside Healthcare Nursing Homes in Florence, Madisonville and Owensboro.

The Lexington Herald-Leader published an article about the report yesterday.

Administrators at Britthaven, located in the former city hospital on Bourne Avenue, did not return a phone call yesterday.

The GAO did not release information about which nursing homes were the worst of the worst; however, the report indicates that the nursing home which received the worst scores in Kentucky was also the second most poorly performing nursing home in the entire country.

The GAO report says the most poorly performing nursing homes tend to be chain affiliated and for-profit, have more beds and residents, and have registered nurses who spend fewer hours with residents each day than in others.

State officials, nursing home industry leaders, and advocates fighting for reform agree that the GAO report is reason for concern.

The Office of Inspector General for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services is taking these concerns “very seriously,” spokeswoman Beth Fisher told the Herald-Leader.

“We will continue to work closely with the long-term care community to make sure facilities are properly adhering to health and safety guidelines and regulations,” Fisher said.

“The safety of the residents of Kentucky’s nursing facilities always has been and will remain our top priority.”

A group called the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities is providing education and training to the institutions on the GAO list and to other Kentucky facilities to improve the quality of care, according to the Herald-Leader.

Britthaven has seen its share of troubles in recent years. State inspectors have cited the institution several times. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has listed Britthaven as one of the “chronically troubled nursing homes” in the state, although, as of October, it claimed that Britthaven had shown improvement since its last inspection.

Britthaven administrator Brian K. Jaggers told the Herald-Leader that “only minor survey deficiencies were identified” at his facility as of late.