photo by: Submitted

Libby Hastings

More than 50 years ago, a horrifying moment inside a Kansas nursing home sparked a movement that would change the state.

While reading to a nursing home resident, Lawrence advocate Anna “Petey” Cerf heard the woman’s roommate call out in pain. A nurse entered the room and snapped, “Oh shut up. You’re always yelling.” The next day, that resident was dead.

Petey was devastated but not silent. She joined forces with Jessie Branson, Leslie Ketzel, Harriet Nehring, Katie Pyle, and Bryona Wiley, women from Lawrence and Topeka who refused to accept that this was just the way things were. They formed a grassroots committee, phoned neighbors, visited towns across Kansas, and listened to the stories of families and residents suffering from abuse, neglect, and systemic failure.

In 1975, they founded Kansans for Improvement of Nursing Homes (KINH), now Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC).

Their work was bold. They investigated over 230 nursing homes, exposed dangerous conditions, and pushed for policy reform. Their efforts led to surprise inspections by Governor Bennett, public hearings across the state, and the passage of new laws to increase oversight and protect residents. Petey proudly declared in 1981, “I would say we are a militant group. I hope we are, because if someone doesn’t get militant, nothing will get done.”

Sadly, the fight isn’t over. Across Kansas, residents are still harmed by chronic understaffing, abuse of antipsychotic medication, minimum staff training, and lack of accountability from the State.

We cannot afford to be passive. If you care about your aging parents, your neighbors, or your future self, now is the time to speak up. Visit a local nursing home. Ask questions. Support policies that prioritize people over profit. And demand that our state leaders do the same!

As KABC marks its 50th anniversary, we are as committed as ever to carrying forward Petey’s legacy: demanding accountability, protecting residents, and fighting for quality care in every corner of our state. The legacy of these courageous women didn’t begin in a boardroom; It began in Lawrence, with outrage, compassion, and action. That’s what it will take again.

— Libby Hastings is the Communication and Public Relations Coordinator for Kansas Advocates for Better Care and a proud Lawrence resident.