Nursing homes accused of mistreating residents, misusing $83 million in lawsuit from New York AG
The operators of four nursing homes in New York misused more than $83 million in government funds and neglected residents, including some who were malnourished or were left to sit for hours in their own urine and feces, state Attorney General Letitia James said in a lawsuit Wednesday.
The lawsuit filed in Manhattan accuses owners and operators of Centers Health Care of using Medicaid and Medicare funds to enrich themselves, their relatives and associates instead of for the care of the residents. James claims understaffing at the homes contributed to neglect.
“Residents were left alone and on their own, often unaided and unsupervised, leading to dangerous falls and broken bones. Residents lived in squalor, surrounded by neglected food trays, vermin and the smell of human waste,” James said at a news conference held with residents’ relatives.