This shocking case from the first quarter of 2024 is an extreme and egregious example of how not only inadequate staffing but facility negligence can lead to nightmarish outcomes for residents. The instances of abuse that led to the mass action against the nursing facilities occurred over a number of years and were blamed on a number of different factors.
California’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, along with the district attorneys of Alameda, Marin, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles counties, sued 19 of Mariner’s skilled nursing facilities. Mariner, a parent company for nursing facilities across California—including one recently shuttered after the deaths of five residents—allegedly falsified staffing numbers while being chronically understaffed, and “unsafely discharged residents from the facilities.”
As a result of the alleged neglect, residents suffered untreated bedsores, lice, falls, unreported sexual abuse, and poor care that led to unnecessary amputations.
Under the recently reached settlement, Mariner—having not admitted or denied wrongdoing—agreed to pay $15.5 million “if it fails to abide by terms related to patient safety and staffing levels.”
The conditions of the settlement include Mariner’s promise to abide by all rule and administrative standards when discharging residents, reporting abuse, and communicating with CMS and other government entities.
It is our hope that those responsible for investigating facilities and holding them accountable will thoroughly examine all California long-term care homes to prevent cases like this in the future.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of abuse, neglect, or medical malpractice, call Gharibian Law (866-239-8812) today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
