It is not unusual for one company to own and oversee the operation of numerous nursing homes and/or assisted living facilities. When one or more of those facilities in New York comes under fire, the owners may find themselves in a position in which defending nursing homes from allegations is a must. One owner of a large chain of such facilities is currently in the midst of defending the operations and employees at his properties.
The owner has 81 nursing homes in operation. He is being sued by the daughter of a 68-year-old woman who died after five weeks in one of the homes. The daughter claims negligence and elder abuse played a role in the woman’s death. She was at the location for rehabilitative care after having chest pains and died after being rushed to the hospital with dehydration, pneumonia and a low body temperature.
The home has come under fire for other reasons, including a report by an investigative reporter who filmed conditions there with a hidden camera. The ratings of the nursing staff and health inspection results also caused some concern, as have other deaths at nursing homes owned by this party. The owner released a statement that highlights his efforts to employ professional staff at the nursing homes, provide care for thousands of patients and meet the challenges of the industry.
Defending nursing homes against charges of abuse is a legally complex undertaking. Families may be reeling with grief or discontent over the health of loved one, while nursing home staff and owners deal with the overwhelming tasks associated with providing such intimate and necessary care, meaning facts can become skewed. When legal action is taken against a nursing home in New York or elsewhere, an outside investigation may be helpful and a proper defense of those accused of wrongdoing can help protect those who work to maintain and operate nursing homes.
Source: CBS Los Angeles, “Owner Of State’s Biggest Nursing Home Chain Comes Under Fire“, May 17, 2016