Victims of nursing facilities that value profits over people deserve accountability and justice.
When it comes to avoiding nursing home abuse and neglect, ownership matters—a lot. According to University of Pennsylvania research, nursing homes owned by investment firms are more lethal to residents than normal facilities.
"Going to a private equity-owned nursing home increased individuals' short-term mortality by 10% during and for 90 days after the nursing home stay," researchers say.
Shuttlesworth Law Firm LLC takes assisted living and nursing home abuse seriously. No one deserves such horrible treatment. Our Alabama nursing home abuse and neglect law firm fights to improve care standards by relentlessly pursuing justice, accountability, and financial compensation for victims and their families.
If you know or suspect a loved one is being abused or neglected at an Alabama nursing home or assisted living facility, contact Shuttlesworth Law Firm LLC for a free case evaluation. Our legal team can explain how the law applies to your situation, estimate the value of your claim, and help weigh your potential legal options.
Investment firms and nursing home ownership
A sad example of why you should be wary of investment firm-owned nursing homes was revealed in an August expose on the Portopiccolo Group. An investigation by the New Yorker says the New Jersey firm's cost-cutting quickly turned a "pristine" nursing home with a waiting list into an environment more suitable for a horror movie.
Portopiccolo owns nursing homes and extended care facilities in 8 states. Their entities include Peak Healthcare, Accordius Health, Pelican Health, Orchid Cove, and Clearview Health Management, according to a 2021 report.
Before it was purchased in 2019 by Portopiccolo, the news says, St. Joseph's Home for the Aged in Virginia seemed like a great place to be. The facility featured an aquarium as well as a bird aviary and served meals like turkey tetrazzini and salmon with lobster sauce.
All of that changed once Portopiccolo was in charge.
Investors changed the facility's name to Karolwood Gardens and allegedly cut staff, slashed care standards, gutted resources, and removed amenities. Within two weeks of taking over, the situation was allegedly so bad that on some mornings, there were just two nursing aides for the 72-bed facility. (Portopiccolo denies making cuts "during the transition.")
Residents' loved ones allege that conditions were torturous under Portopiccolo's ownership. Examples include the following:
- One resident went 7 days without a bath.
- Another woman hadn't had her hair washed in months.
- A woman on oxygen had to wait for an hour-and-a-half for staff to notice her breathing tube had slipped out and called 911.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Portopiccolo over accusations of neglect and abuse at a different group-owned nursing home.
What are the signs of nursing home abuse?
Private equity investment firms are quickly taking over nursing home facilities. Since about 2000, investment firms have gone from $5 billion in nursing home holdings to $100 billion. This is devastating for residents and their loved ones.
Now more than ever, it is important to know the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. However, detecting nursing home abuse is not always easy. Residents may not speak up about their suffering for fear of reprisal. Or they may not understand what is happening.
Some of the most common types of nursing home abuse and neglect include negligence that leads to falls, inadequate hygiene, dehydration or malnutrition, physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and financial exploitation.
Signs of nursing home neglect and abuse can include the following:
- Bedsores.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Sepsis or harmful infection.
- Medication errors.
- Unexplained bruises.
- Changes in mood.
- Nursing home restricts visits and phone calls with residents.
- Sudden weight loss.
Take action to stop the abuse.
If you suspect abuse or neglect at a nursing home in Alabama, take action right away:
- Notify the nursing home or care facility about your concerns immediately.
- Have an independent doctor give the resident a thorough medical examination.
- Contact the police and ask them, or another government agency, to investigate.
- Consider moving your loved one out of the home, at least temporarily.
- Contact Shuttlesworth Law Firm LLC to review your legal rights and options.
Talk to a nursing home abuse attorney in Birmingham.
At Shuttlesworth Law Firm LLC, we understand the unique restrictions and rules that frame nursing home abuse investigations. As a result, we know where to find evidence and how to collect it - whether facility owners like it or not.
By coming forward with your concerns, you may help end the abuse against your loved one and, possibly, save other residents from such pain.
An Alabama nursing home abuse lawyer can help you fight for what is right. Shuttlesworth Law Firm serves all of Alabama, including Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation.
