HARRISBURG – The state attorney general’s office announced a $2 million settlement agreement with a nursing home chain accused of misleading consumers by failing to provide basic services and leaving its facilities understaffed.
Attorney General Bruce R. Beemer divulged the agreement with Reliant Senior Care Holdings Inc. during a press conference Tuesday at the Capitol.
“It’s a very significant settlement,” Beemer said. “This reflects real money that we’re going to be able to put to good use.”
Beemer’s office is giving about 60 percent of the settlement – or $1.25 million – to the Department of Health, which Secretary Karen Murphy said would be used to hire additional staff.
The lawsuit settlement is believed to be the first of its kind, said Jeffrey A. Johnson, acting attorney general deputy press secretary.
The agreement ends an investigation begun in 2014, in which the attorney general’s office alleged the chain limited the number of certified nurses’ aides at its facilities, resulting – in some cases – in injuries, falls and pressure sores, which if untreated can cause sepsis, a life-threatening condition that can result in organ failure.
The terms of the settlement require Reliant to fully staff to meet resident acuity and individual needs.
Reliant has operated 22 facilities in 15 counties including Montgomery, Lancaster and Lebanon since 2012. The company has since reorganized and is now Priority Healthcare Group.
Officials from the nursing home chain were unavailable for comment Tuesday.
The details of the settlement followed Murphy announcing recommendations from a task force formed last year in the wake of the attorney general’s lawsuit against Golden LivingCenter. That lawsuit, which is still ongoing, accuses the nursing home chain of denying adequate care in 14 of its 36 locations – including a facility in Berks County – that left residents “thirsty, hungry, dirty and unkempt.”
Comprising lawmakers, industry representatives and doctors, the nine-member task force issued seven recommendations to be implemented within the next two years, including enhanced training so annual surveys are conducted consistently across the commonwealth and implementing a cultural shift that emphasizes quality of life care.
“There are many, many excellent nursing homes in the state of Pennsylvania,” Murphy said. “Our actions are in no way an indictment of their work.”
Contact Nicole C. Brambila: 610-371-5044 or nbrambila@readingeagle.com.
Task force recommendations
A Pennsylvania Department of Health task force report released Tuesday made seven recommendations for changes in the nursing home industry.
The recommendations:
- Greater training, so annual surveys are conducted consistently across the commonwealth.
- Revise licensure regulations that emphasize quality-of-life care.
- Enhance data sharing among the Department of Health, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and the Department of Human Services.
- Review and update regulations on nursing home staffing requirements.
- Develop a plan to collaborate with industry leaders to improve the recruitment and retention of nursing home staff.
- Foster a cultural shift that emphasizes quality-of-life care.
- Investigate reimbursement programs that reward facilities for improving person-centered care and other quality measures.
For the full report: Visit bit.ly/PaNursingHomesReport
