We entrust many aspects of our lives to figures in positions of power – our births, our educations, our marriages, our livelihoods. The list could go on. But one important aspect we entrust is our health. We count on doctors and nurses to make the right decisions for our bodies, and sometimes that decision is the difference between life and death. In spite of the expectations set for our caregivers, human nature can lead us astray. Medical abuse has been very prevalent in a plethora of settings. Typically, patients are able to go through the proper authorities to start investigations into these incidents. But what happens when you 're so isolated that the only people you have to turn to are your abusers and the chances of retribution are negligible?
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Waverly Hills was proposed in 1906 by the Kentucky legislature as an aid to staunching the epidemic of tuberculosis known as the White Plague. By 1910, the hospital was fully operational, with a capacity of 40 people. The hospital, though minimal at first, was provided further funding, allowing for the hospital to expand to a capacity of more than 400 patients. Waverly Hills became a strangely isolated community. It even had its own postal code! Patients and staff alike were made to say their farewells to the outside world and succumb to the isolation that came with TB. Though the doctors tried a variety of treatment methods, the death rate was still quite high at Waverly Hills. However this wasn’t just a localized statistic. According to the Louisville Times, "During the World War, TB killed more persons than shot and shell." But in the 1940s, an antibiotic called streptomycin was discovered as being the first effective treatment against TB. With the advent of this drug came the rapidly falling rates of TB. As a result, Waverly Hills Sanitarium was closed in 1961.
But this property’s tale wasn’t near over yet. The very next year, Waverly Hills became Woodhaven Geriatric Center. Little is known about Woodhaven, but there has been plenty of speculation. During the time in which it was operational, patient abuse was fairly common. The combination of overcrowded patients and an understaffed environment was the perfect mix to open up the possibility of patient abuse. This occurrence wasn’t localized, as there are many documented cases of abuse during this time period. The state of Kentucky shut Woodhaven down in 1982 because of
Waverly Hills was proposed in 1906 by the Kentucky legislature as an aid to staunching the epidemic of tuberculosis known as the White Plague. By 1910, the hospital was fully operational, with a capacity of 40 people. The hospital, though minimal at first, was provided further funding, allowing for the hospital to expand to a capacity of more than 400 patients. Waverly Hills became a strangely isolated community. It even had its own postal code! Patients and staff alike were made to say their farewells to the outside world and succumb to the isolation that came with TB. Though the doctors tried a variety of treatment methods, the death rate was still quite high at Waverly Hills. However this wasn’t just a localized statistic. According to the Louisville Times, "During the World War, TB killed more persons than shot and shell." But in the 1940s, an antibiotic called streptomycin was discovered as being the first effective treatment against TB. With the advent of this drug came the rapidly falling rates of TB. As a result, Waverly Hills Sanitarium was closed in 1961.
But this property’s tale wasn’t near over yet. The very next year, Waverly Hills became Woodhaven Geriatric Center. Little is known about Woodhaven, but there has been plenty of speculation. During the time in which it was operational, patient abuse was fairly common. The combination of overcrowded patients and an understaffed environment was the perfect mix to open up the possibility of patient abuse. This occurrence wasn’t localized, as there are many documented cases of abuse during this time period. The state of Kentucky shut Woodhaven down in 1982 because of