Legal Action Filed Against National Nursing Home Chain

Authorities in Pennsylvania have filed legal action against a nursing home company with 36 locations statewide for failing to provide basic services to “elderly and vulnerable” residents, the Pennsylvania Attorney General announced Wednesday

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane says residents at Golden Living Centers were left in soiled diapers for extended periods of time, were at risk for bedsores and were not routinely bathed, among other allegations. The attorney general also alleges that residents were often not escorted to meals as required, sometimes missed meals entirely and staff falsified records.

Kane said her office has filed legal action against Golden Gate National Senior Care LLC, which manages and operates Golden Living Centers. The legal action, filed in Commonwealth Court in the form of a complaint in equity and petition for permanent injunction, asserts Golden Living violated the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law by deceiving consumers through its marketing practices.

The company operates 300 locations nationwide in 22 states. Pennsylvania locations include Doylestown, Phoenixville, Lansdale and more. Click here for a full list.

“The company advertised it would keep its residents clean and comfortable while providing food and water at any time. But its facilities were understaffed, leaving residents thirsty, hungry, dirty, unkempt and sometimes unable to summon anyone to help meet their most basic needs, such as going to the bathroom,” the legal action asserts.

A company spokesperson called the claims baseless. “Golden Living is confident that claims made by the Attorney General are baseless and wholly without merit,” Neil Kurtz, president and CEO of Golden Living, said in a statement. “We plan to vigorously defend the reputation of Golden Living and its employees.”

Kane said the company preyed on the most vulnerable to make a profit. “These facilities promised to provide the care needed by residents and then failed to meet residents’ most basic human needs. That is simply unacceptable,” she said.

Interviews with residents’ family members and former certified nursing assistants who worked at Golden Living facilities revealed a widespread pattern of understaffing and omitted care, the legal action states. Those allegations include the following:

• Continent residents left in diapers because they were unable to obtain assistance going to the bathroom.
• Incontinent residents left in soiled diapers, in their own feces or urine, for extended periods of time.
• Residents at risk for bedsores from not being turned every two hours as required.
• Residents not receiving range of motion exercises.
• Residents not receiving showers or other hygiene services as required.
• Residents being woken at 5 a.m. or earlier to be washed and dressed for the day.
• Residents not being timely dressed in order to attend their meals.
• Residents not being escorted to the dining hall and sometimes missing meals entirely.
• Long waits for responses to call bells or no responses at all.Staff, under the direction of management or fear of management, falsifying records to indicate residents received services when in fact they did not.
• Improved staffing when state inspections occurred, leading to deceit about the true conditions at the facility.

The legal action seeks permanent injunctive relief prohibiting Golden Living from engaging in the allegedly deceptive and unlawful business practices it is accused of, the attorney general said.

It also seeks $1,000 per violation of the law, or up to $3,000 for every violation involving a person 60 years old or older. The action also seeks restitution for consumers, injunctive relief and costs of litigation, the attorney general said.

Those with complaints concerning Golden Living facilities or other health care facilities are encouraged to contact the Office of Attorney General’s Health Care Section. Complaints may be filed at www.attorneygeneral.gov by selecting “File a Complaint” from the tool bar and then “Health Care.” Complaints may also be filed by calling the Health Care helpline at 887-888-4877.