Every nursing home resident in Kentucky is supposed to be under the supervision of a physician, but how this supervision works may be different for each individual resident.
Kentucky nursing home regulations establish minimum standards of physician care that must be provided for each nursing home resident. It is the doctor’s job to evaluate the resident’s current and long-term needs and to prescribe a “planned regimen of medical care.” This planned regimen should include medications, treatments, rehabilitation services, special dietary modifications, special procedures recommended to maintain the health or safety of the patient, activities, and plans for continuing care and discharge.
When a Doctor Should See a Resident
A doctor should see a resident any time that a medical need arises or a health concern is reported. While state regulations can’t predict when a medical need or health concern will occur, the regulations do provide for a minimum number of physician visits regardless of medical need. Specifically, every nursing home resident should be evaluated by a doctor:
- At least once every 30 days for the first 60 days following admission to the nursing home.
- Every 60 days following the first 60 days of admission unless justified and documented by the attending doctor in the resident’s medical record.
This is the minimum amount that is required by regulation, but it does not prevent a doctor from seeing a resident more often.
If the doctor is absent, then arrangements must be made for each resident’s medical care while the doctor is unavailable. The nursing home is required to have arrangements with at least one other doctor who can provide medical care in an emergency if a resident’s regular physician is not immediately available. This list of alternative doctor(s) must be kept at each nursing station.
The Failure to Provide Physician Services May Be Relevant in a Nursing Home Negligence or Abuse Case
Without proper medical care, a nursing home resident may suffer significant and unnecessary injuries. If your loved one has been hurt by a lack of medical care or has died in her nursing home, then it is important to find out exactly what happened and to hold the right people accountable for your loved one’s injury or death.
Has Your Loved One Been Injured In A Nursing Home?
If you believe your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse you need to speak with an experienced Kentucky nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.450.4456 to schedule a free consultation.
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