Extendicare Health Services is one of the largest nursing home chains in the nation. It is also the subject of one of the largest, if not the largest, settlements in a quality-of-care case the country has ever seen. According to a report by one news source, Extendicare recently reached an agreed-upon $38 million settlement.
The charges against the nursing home chain were several. Some of the charges related to improper billing of the federal government. However, the bulk of the claims were in regard to the standard and quality of care that Extendicare was providing to its aging residents.
According to the report, the investigation focused on 33 Extendicare facilities in eight different states, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, Washington, and Wisconsin. The claims alleged that the facilities employed fewer nurses than were needed to support the number of patients that the facility housed. In addition, there were claims that the nursing home staff members were not being adequately trained.
As a part of the settlement, Extendicare will have to pay the federal government, as well as the eight states in which the questionable facilities were operating, $28 million. In addition, it will have to fork over $10 million to resolve the false billing accusations.
How Does This Lawsuit Affect Individual Patients?
It is true that this settlement was between the federal and state governments on one side, and Extendicare on the other side. No individuals were party to this suit. However, this lawsuit does go to show that there are many nursing homes across the country that are cutting corners in order to make a more attractive bottom line. For example, this lawsuit is based on allegations that the nursing home failed to provide the necessary amount of staff members to accommodate all of its residents. These kinds of facts are crucial in lawsuits brought by individuals against nursing homes.
Cutting corners in the nursing home context means decreased care provided to the residents of that facility. Often, the care in these kinds of facilities falls below the standard level of care that is expected in nursing homes, leading to preventable injuries and deaths. In these cases, individuals can bring suit against a nursing home, seeking monetary damages for their injuries or losses. To learn more, you should speak with a dedicated nursing home attorney.
Do You Have a Loved One in a Maryland Nursing Home?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you are concerned for his or her continued safety given what you have seen or heard, you should do all that you can to ensure that your loved one is removed from that facility before it is too late. After you know that your family member is safe, contact a dedicated Maryland nursing home attorney to discuss what went on and to see if you or your loved one may have a case against the nursing home. Call 410-654-3600 to set up a free initial consultation today.
See More Blog Posts:
Nursing Home Fire in Maine Forces Evacuation of 22 Residents, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published October 8, 2014.
Nurse Arrested for the Abuse of a 92-Year-Old Nursing Home Patient, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published September 5, 2014.