Where do I file a complaint about a Louisville nursing home or assisted living community?
File it with the Kentucky Office of Inspector General's Northern Branch complaint coordinator at 502-595-4958 or NEBComplaints-Reports@ky.gov; OIG's own long-term-care roster assigns Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Shelby, Spencer, Henry and Trimble counties to that branch.
OIG's Division of Health Care investigates complaints against every licensed health facility through four regional branches. All of its long-term-care inspections are unannounced, and state law forbids anyone with knowledge of a scheduled inspection from tipping off the facility. If a resident is in danger right now, call 911 first.
What information should a Kentucky complaint include?
OIG asks for the facility name, who is complaining, what happened, who was involved, how the resident was affected, when and where it happened, whether it was a one-time event or ongoing, who witnessed it, and what the facility did after being told.
Write it down while it is fresh: dates, times, room or unit, and names of staff on duty. OIG also asks whether the matter was reported to the county Department for Community Based Services, which matters when the complaint involves abuse, neglect or exploitation. Keep copies of anything you send.
What does the long-term care ombudsman do for Louisville residents?
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a free, independent advocate for residents of nursing homes, personal care homes and family care homes; in Jefferson and the other KIPDA counties the program is run by Catholic Charities of Louisville under contract with KIPDA.
The ombudsman helps resolve problems with the facility, explains residents' rights, and can attend care-plan meetings, but does not license, inspect or fine anyone. OIG does those things. The two are complementary: you can ask the ombudsman for help and file with OIG at the same time. Reach the program through KIPDA's Aging & Disability Resource Center at (502) 266-5571 or Catholic Charities of Louisville. Ombudsmen act with the resident's consent, so an adult child cannot direct a complaint a capable resident does not want pursued.
When should I call Adult Protective Services instead of OIG?
Call Kentucky's abuse reporting hotline, 1-877-597-2331, whenever you suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult; KRS 209.030 requires anyone with reasonable cause to suspect it to report immediately, and the cabinet then notifies law enforcement within 24 hours.
Abuse inside a licensed facility is often both a regulatory problem and a protective-services case, so it is reasonable to report to the hotline and to OIG. Financial exploitation at home — a caregiver writing checks, a relative draining an account — belongs with the hotline. See our page on reporting abuse and neglect for what the report should contain.
At a glance
| OIG is the right call when | OIG is not the right call when | |
|---|---|---|
| Care problems | A licensed facility is breaking a licensing rule | You want someone to negotiate with the facility for you (call the ombudsman) |
| Abuse | Abuse happened in a licensed setting (report to both) | Abuse or exploitation happened at home (hotline only) |
| Emergencies | The danger has passed and needs investigating | Someone is in danger right now (call 911) |
| Billing | Fees violate the lease's 30-day notice rule | You simply disagree with a price |
Sources include KRS Chapter 194A, 902 KAR 20:480, Kentucky CHFS and DMS pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
