Kentucky Nursing Homes Fail to Heed Physician Orders toResuscitate Residents

An article in today's Lexington Herald-Leader reviews several recent cases in which Kentucky nursing homes "have been cited by state investigators for failing to perform lifesaving measures on residents who had requested that they be resuscitated."  

Other nursing homes were cited for ignoring written orders that residents not be resuscitated.

Kentucky is hardly alone.  Hospitals and nursing homes regularly fail to comply with advance directives. But why?  The legal obligations are clear and many.  Compliance is required by Medicare COPs, by state healthcare decisions laws, by licensure laws, by informed consent and battery laws.  Is the risk of auditing too low?  Are the penalties too low?