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A report released last year by New York Assemblyman Ron Kim examined the thousands of deaths from Covid-19 in the state’s nursing homes in an attempt to identify underlying problems that caused the raft of fatalities and what can be done to address those problems. The report, published by Kim’s office in July 2020, is […]
Fraud
Federal Judge: New York Nursing Home Violated Human Trafficking Laws
A federal judge ruled against SensotaCare, the largest nursing home provider in New York, saying the agency violated human trafficking laws with its meager wages and “threat of serious financial harm” designed to prevent anyone from quitting. According to Newsday, Judge Gershon of the federal Eastern District of New York also found that the owners […]
Westchester Doctor Convicted for Stealing 540k from 97-year-old
A Westchester doctor was convicted of stealing over half-a-million dollars from an elderly woman. According to LoHud.com, physician Peter Corines of Eastchester stole the massive sums from a 97-year-old woman over just a two-week period in November 2017. The jury convicted the disgraced doctor of three felonies stemming from the stolen money and stolen identity […]
Criticism Grows Over New York Department of Health’s “Oversight” of Nursing Homes
Only two weeks after putting a Buffalo nursing home under conservatorship, the New York Department of Health announced that Emerald North and Emerald South Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will be closing their doors. The closure follows a long line of missteps and scandals by the formerly for-profit nursing homes, according to The Buffalo News. In […]
Elderly a Common Target for Scammers, Financial Abuse
According to Consumer Reports, approximately 500,000 senior citizens lose over $36 billion each year to scammers who target them for financial abuse. Despite the widespread problem and illegality, only 5,000 confirmed cases were reported last year to states. With the population of America aging, authorities expect the problem to grow even worse and hope to […]
Financial Abuse of Elderly Steals $37 Billion a Year
A recent study estimates that financial abuse of elderly Americans defrauds these vulnerable citizens of almost $37 billion each. The report finds that almost 5 million senior citizens in America are victims of elder abuse each year. In New York alone, financial abuse of the elderly costs at least $1.5 billion a year. While the […]
Individuals with Mental Health Problems Have Difficulty Accessing Top-Quality Nursing Homes
A recent report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found that individuals with mental health or behavioral problems are more likely to be denied access to higher-quality nursing homes throughout the country. The study relied on data from 3.7 million admissions in 15,600 facilities across the country and found that, while elderly […]
As N.Y. Nursing Home Chain Prepares to Grow, Mistrust Remains
After reaching an agreement with the Attorney General, a New York nursing home chain is prepared to grow throughout the tri-state area. The Brooklyn retirement home chain, Allure Group, came under heavy criticism after purchasing a retirement home and assisted living facility for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and then subsequently selling the properties to […]
Lacking Effective Oversight, Nursing Homes Fail Many Patients
With toothless regulations and ineffective oversight, many nursing homes are still failing the neediest patients. With its budget for overseeing nursing homes slashed in half, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has failed to identify failing nursing homes and keep them accountable. As a consequence, some nursing homes are choosing to accept the […]
Caretaker Charged After Elderly Man Complains of “Being Thrown Around Like a Rag Doll”
A Berkshires caretaker has been charged with elder abuse after an 84-year-old man told hospital staff that his two broken ribs were caused by being “thrown around like a rag doll.” The 52-year-old man, Anthony Marcella II, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on charges of assault and battery on a person over 60 […]
Hospice CEO Salary: Why Compensation for Hospice CEO’s Soars and How They Game the Medicare System
Long-Term Care Facilities are becoming a more lucrative business in America as the country’s CEO’s compensation continues its upward trend. In 2016, the average salary for CEOs jumped to $465,875 according to a report by The Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service. This increase not only reflects the general trend in hospice CEO salary but also […]
Nursing Home Staffer Charged with Multiple Felonies after Stealing the Identities of Nursing Home Residents
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that Channel Francis had been indicted for five felonies relating to allegations that she assumed the identities of three nursing home patients and illegally used their credit cards. Schneiderman charges that Francis obtained the information from residents of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in Queens, […]
Six Individuals Arrested for Stealing from Nursing Home Residents
On October 18, 2016, six individuals were arrested in New York for exploiting the financial vulnerability of nursing home residents; defendants are from Bronx, New York, Queens and Suffolk Counties. The five New York City defendants stole personal identity information from residents in order to secure cash or credit they were not entitled to; and […]
NY Nursing Home Attorney Report: The Cover-up is Worse Than the Crime (Usually)
On January 4, 2016 Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced several guilty pleas in connection with allegations against Mohawk Valley Health Care Center (MVNH) for falsifying business records and covering up nursing home resident abuse and neglect. In a separate civil settlement, MVNH Associates, LLC also agreed to pay a $1,000,000 fine to Medicaid for […]
Nurse Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Narcotics Through Fraudulent Prescriptions
Linda Masse, a Licensed Practical Nurse, pled guilty in Schenectady County Court to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a Class D Felony, with a sentence of felony drug court. Masse also agreed to surrender her nurse practitioners license. Linda Masse was a licensed practical nurse at Women’s […]
Indictment for Nursing Home Receptionist Charged with Stealing from Residents
Claire Weiland, a receptionist at Livingston Hills Nursing Home in Columbia County, was arrested for stealing over $6,000 from the resident trust account at the nursing home where she worked. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stated that the exploitation of nursing home residents for personal gains will not be tolerated. Residents entrust their funds to the […]
Rockland Nonprofit Charged with Forging Medicaid Claims and Lying in Medicaid Audit
The nonprofit Mental Health Association of Rockland County, Inc. has agreed to settle with the New York State Office of the Attorney General for $304,000 in response to allegations that the nonprofit altered Medicaid records. In its settlement agreement, the nonprofit admitted to the allegations and accepted responsibility for its actions. Medicaid is a state […]
Report: Financial Exploitation of Elderly Costs $2.9 Billion Annually
The results of a 2011 report, a collaboration of numerous agencies, show that financial exploitation of the elderly resulted in $2.9 billion in losses to victims in 2010. Moreover, the study, titled, “The MetLife Study of Elder Financial Abuse: Crimes of Occasion, Desperation, and Predation against America’s Elders,” further concluded that losses from financial abuse […]
Deceased Nursing Home Owner’s Estate Pays NY State Over $2M in Medicaid Fraud Case
The estate of Helen Sieger, the former deceased owner of the 400-bed Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center in the Bronx, New York reached a $2.5 million settlement in June 2013 with the Attorney General’s office for defrauding Medicaid. According to the settlement, $1.2 million will go towards reimbursing Medicaid, and $1.3 million will go […]
Former Manager of Home for the Disabled Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $1K from Residents
Samantha Cross, 31, a former assistant manager at Schoharie ARC, a New York home for the disabled, admitted in March 2014 to stealing $1,503 from the residents’ personal allowance funds. Cross, who appeared before Schoharie Town Court Justice Kenneth Knutsen, pled guilty to one count of falsifying business records, a misdemeanor. In addition, Cross admitted […]
Former Health Aide at Long Island Retirement Facility Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Steal $10K from Elderly Patient
Stephanie Benodin, 26, pleaded guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree in February 2014 before Susan T. Kluewer in Nassau District Court. Benodin, a Queens resident, worked as a personal care assistant at The Tuttle Center, a long-term care retirement community that is part of The Amsterdam at Harborside in Port Washington, New […]
Feds: Employees of Financial Institutions Can Now Report Suspected Cases of Financial Elder Abuse
As the senior population in the United States continues to grow, financial fraud and abuse of the elderly is becoming an increasing problem. According to a report by MetLife, financial abuse of the elderly resulted in $2.9 billion in losses in 2010. In many cases, scammers will tell their elderly victims that they need thousands […]
