Nursing Home Chain Agrees to Pay $38 Million to Settle Failure of Care Claims
Published at
Svetl/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice announced a resolution to a series of substandard care claims against Extendicare Health Services on Friday, with the nursing home chain agreeing to pay $38 million.
Extendicare, one of the nation’s largest nursing home chains, has 146 facilities in 11 states. Accusations of “failure of care” were filed against the chain, and the settlement was described by the Justice Department as the largest False Claims Act settlement every entered into by a nursing home chain.
The chain was accused of failing to provide appropriate catheter care, failing to follow protocols to prevent pressure sores or falls by residents and failure to safely administer medication. Residents were found to be, in some cases, injured, malnourished or dehydrated, some of which required unnecessary hospitalization or in some cases, amputation.
Additionally, the chain allegedly pushed some patients in unnecessary rehab therapy so that the Extendicare could collect from Medicare and Medicaid.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio