Background Checks Required in Kentucky

A new bill in Kentucky requires criminal background checks for all nursing home employees. State Senator Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, has filed this bill for criminal background checks. At this time, the state only requires background checks for nursing home and assisted living employees who directly care for residents. The new bill would require that other staff members such as custodians, maintenance, and food service workers be checked as well.

To conduct criminal background checks only on workers who directly care for the residents is not enough. Any employee who has access to the residents in a nursing home should be checked. It is not that difficult to run a background check given the potential for abuse and the time and effort involved to run a background check- clearly everyone who is employed should be checked. Apparently there has been several instances where employees who are not providing direct care to residents, but who are employed in some other capacity in the facility have committed crimes against the residents. For instance, the receptionist at a nursing home in Florida was stealing money from the bank accounts of four nursing home residents. Also, an occupational therapist who worked in a nursing home facility in Louisville was caught in an identify-theft scheme where nearly $100,000 was stolen. Apparently this employee in Louisville had an extensive criminal record; if someone had checked the background, then they would not have hired this person.

Elder abuse in nursing homes is a very serious matter because the resident usually cannot complain about it or is scared to say anything. Therefore, more needs to be done to protect these residents. When you admit a loved one to a nursing home or care facility, they should be treated with care. When you leave your loved one in a licensed facility, with licensed professionals, then there is an expectation that they will do their job right and that the facility has done all it can to make sure their employees are performing their jobs in the best way possible.

Senate Bill 44 provides as follows: (1) No long-term care facility as defined by KRS 216.535(1), nursing pool providing staff to a nursing facility, or assisted-living community shall knowingly employ a person [in a position which involves providing direct services to a resident or client] if that person has been convicted of a felony offense related to theft; abuse or sale of illegal drugs; abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult; or a sexual crime.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/16/1600525/ky-voices-check-backgrounds-of.html#ixzz1BmXzJuOC