Eastern State Hospital Long Term Care Facility to Close

Frankfort, KY (May 22, 2018) - The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) announced today the Eastern State Hospital Long Term Care Facility will be closed due to state budget constraints. The facility currently serves 14 residents with acquired brain injuries (ABI) or geriatric residents with long-term care needs.

Eastern State Hospital, a state-owned psychiatric facility, is managed by UK HealthCare and primarily serves patients with acute mental health needs. The current action impacts only the long-term care facility, and all other services will remain intact.

“Closing the long-term care facility was not an easy decision, but we feel it is in the best interest of the continued success of Eastern State Hospital and the overall financial health of the facility,” said Wendy Morris, Commissioner of the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID), within CHFS. “Residents and family members are our top priority, and we are committed to ensuring each resident transitions to a safe environment that fulfills their health and rehabilitation needs.”

The 2018 executive branch budget bill includes funding to support an additional 118 acquired brain injury waiver slots which will provide assistance with obtaining services for individuals with ABI.

“We want the public to be aware healthcare services for individuals with acquired brain injuries are available,” said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Adam Meier  “Kentucky Medicaid’s acquired brain jury waiver program provides an alternative to institutional care and, with the addition of new slots, can now serve more Kentuckians.  Geriatric residents from the facility have a number of options, including state run nursing homes in Glasgow and Hopkinsville as well as private psychiatric long-term care facilities. We are committed to making sure both populations have access to care and will be supported as they transition to new facilities or healthcare providers.”

Located in the Eastern State Hospital building but licensed separately, the facility, which opened in 2014, houses a Geriatric Program and an Acquired Brain Injury Program. The facility was originally licensed for 44 beds, but due to funding constraints, the two original units were consolidated last year, forming a single unit consisting of 17 beds. 

Closing the facility is expected to save $2 million. CHFS believes that this closure will allow a more efficient use of resources to support the behavioral health system and provide quality care.  

The transition of residents to other facilities or community settings will be facilitated by the UK HealthCare team at Eastern State Hospital with oversight from DBHDID, who will work with residents and families to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

 

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The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is home to most of the state's human services and healthcare programs, including the Department for Medicaid Services, the Department for Community Based Services the Department for Public Health, the Department for Aging and Independent Living and the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. CHFS is one of the largest agencies in state government, with nearly 8,000 full- and part-time employees located across the Commonwealth focused on improving the lives and health of Kentuckians.

 

 

 

 

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