Severe Neglect at Nursing-Home Chain Run by Private-Equity Firm, the Carlyle Group

The Washington Post analyzed inspection records from the second-largest nursing-home chain in the nation, HCR ManorCare, and found that tens of thousands of residents were exposed to serious health risks. The chain went bankrupt in March, even though it is owned by the Carlyle Group, one of the world’s wealthiest private-equity firms.

From 2013 to 2017, annual health-code violations at HCR ManorCare nursing homes increased from 1,584 to nearly 2,000, including increases in citations for:

• Failing to prevent or treat bed sores
• Making medication errors
• Failing to provide necessary care for those who need things like injections, colostomies and prosthetics
• Failing to help residents with their personal hygiene
• Not helping residents with eating

The inspection reports revealed shocking instances of neglect, such as a resident flipping backward in a wheelchair and suffering a brain bleed. This occurred on a bus trip to church and one staff member was charged with escorting six residents who were unable to walk without help.

There was another situation when a nurse’s aide was trying to move a paraplegic woman even though the aide needed help. This resulted in a fall that caused the resident to fracture her hip – these kinds of fall injuries are much more common among the elderly.

According to the mother of a resident of a nursing home in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the facility was like a dirty motel, with roaches and ants everywhere.

If your loved one was abused or neglected at one of these facilities, you may have legal options. Contact a Wisconsin nursing home abuse attorney today for a free, no obligation legal consultation.

Management of HCR ManorCare

HCR ManorCare is owned by the Carlyle Group. In 2011, Carlyle Group and investors finalized a deal to take $1.3 billion from the company for investors.

However, this deal created financial obligations that were unmanageable, according to The Post’s reporting. For example, the nursing home chain had to sell almost all of its real estate and pay rent to the new owners.

The deal also constrained the nursing home chain’s finances. For example, the company laid off hundreds of workers shortly after the 2011 deal. Less than one year later, some facilities could not pay rent.

Financial troubles are also linked to the rise in health-code violations – the increase in violations began not long after the 2011 deal was completed.

Response to The Post’s Reporting

The Carlyle Group and HCR ManorCare have stated that financial issues have never caused resident care to be compromised. They say that they only cut administrative expenses, not the cost for nursing care. They also said the number of nursing hours per patient was fairly consistent in the years before the bankruptcy.

While HCR ManorCare disputes the idea of the quality of care going down in recent years (Medicare ratings for these facilities were only slightly below the U.S. average), The Post analysis reveals that the number of health-code violations increased three times faster than other nursing homes.

An HCR ManorCare expert suggested The Post review five states where this chain has the most nursing facilities. Violations at facilities in four of those five states increased faster than other nursing homes.

Contact PKSD Right Now to Find Out How We Can Help

Nursing home abuse and neglect can cause serious, life-changing injuries and even death in some cases. Unfortunately, many forms of abuse or neglect could have been prevented.

If your loved one suffered abuse, you might be owed compensation for the damages that occurred. This includes compensation for medical expenses and physical and emotional pain and suffering.

You can discuss what happened in a free, no obligation legal consultation. This means there is no risk to you in contacting us to discuss what happened.

Call us today at 414-333-3333 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.