A September report by the New York Times investigated allegations that nursing homes are diagnosing dementia-suffering residents with schizophrenia as a way of circumventing regulations forbidding the administration of unnecessary antipsychotic medication. A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society determined that these “questionable” diagnoses disproportionately affect Black nursing home residents, […]
Fraud
NY Assemblyman: Hold For-Profit Nursing Homes Accountable
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 […]
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 […]
New Patient Driving Pricing Model Will Lead to Less Fraud
Medicare’s transition to a new pricing model will reduce the risk of fraud, but likely lower the quality of care for some patients. A report by Skilled Nursing News begins by detailing the new payment scheme implemented by Medicare named Patient-Driven Payment Model, or PDPM. Under PDPM’s new pricing structure, Medicare sets reimbursement rates according […]
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 […]
Why Financial Stability of a Facility is Important for Prospective Nursing Home Residents
Elderly New Yorkers should carefully examine a nursing home’s finances before making their final decision, according to The New York Times. While full-blown insolvencies are rare, a poorly-run nursing home can offer a “bait-and-switch” type of scheme that lures the elderly in with its low costs, only to reduce services and increase costs in 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 […]
NY Attorney General: Massive Scheme to Defraud Medicaid and Medicare Harmed Patients
The Attorney General’s Office in New York announced the indictment of two Brooklyn men for running a massive scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid recipients from healthcare clinics in the Bronx and Manhattan. According to the Attorney General, Tea Kaganovich and Ramazi Mitiashvili, operated three separate companies, Sophisticated Imaging, Inc., East Coast Diagnosists and East […]
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 […]
Reports: New York State Slow to Investigate Abuse by Medical Professionals
A recent federal and state report excoriated New York’s handling of complaints against nursing homes and nurses in the state. An audit by the New York found that the state had failed to properly investigate complaints against nurses. For the cases that are deemed “priority 1” – the most serious which usually involve allegations of […]
New York Makes Moves to Protect Its Elderly
Governor Andrew Cuomo has taken a stand against elder abuse by signing a new law that requires state agencies to develop guidelines to help better identify elder abuse. According to Gov. Cuomo, the new guidelines will be proactive by establishing guidelines to help identify cases of elder abuse, self-neglect and maltreatment and comprehensive by following-up […]
Trump Administration Moves to Limit Nursing Home Resident’s Access to Court System
As part of President Trump’s promise to roll-back federal regulations, the Trump administration has announced its intention to scrap a federal rule prohibiting nursing homes from requiring their residents to pursue legal claims through arbitration. In the simplest terms, arbitration is a catch-all term for a dispute-resolution that, while legally binding, does not utilize the […]
States Take Notice as Financial Abuse of the Elderly Becomes More Common
As more than 10,000 Americans join the 65-and-over club daily, financial exploitation of the elderly is becoming increasingly more common and states are making moves to protect their senior citizens. Financial abuse, one of the four types of elder abuse (the other three include sexual abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse) involves the “illegal or […]
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 […]
New York Attorney General: Woman Stole Nursing Home Patients’ Identities, Credit Cards
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 alleges that Francis obtained the information from residents of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in […]
Compensation for Hospice CEO’s Soars and One Owner Games the Medicare System
Long-Term Care Facilities are becoming a more lucrative business in America as the country’s CEO’s compensation continue their upward trend. In 2016, the average salary for CEO’s jumped to $465,875 according to a report by The Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service. Compared to an average salary of $441,604 in 2015, this represents a 5.4 percent […]
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 […]
Department of Justice to Form Task Forces to Tackle Poor Nursing Home Care
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of regional task forces whose objective will be to toughen enforcement against nursing homes providing substandard care. This initiative was launched in accordance with the DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative and is expected to include members from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Units, state and local […]
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 […]
