FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Due to state budget constraints, Eastern State Hospital’s long-term care facility will close.
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.
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.
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.
