Major Nursing Home Company Violates Federal COVID-19 Standards

Life Care Centers of America, one of the largest nursing home chains in the country, has reportedly violated multiple federal standards put in place to protect staff and care facility residents from transmitting or contracting COVID-19, the infectious disease at the root of the global pandemic.

As the prevalence of COVID-19 increased across the country, government inspectors discovered concerns with the infection control and prevention at least ten Life Care nursing homes in states such as Colorado, Kansas, and Michigan. Regulators from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid inspected various nursing homes and their safety measures for COVID-19 and found instances that went against federal standards.

Now, many families are calling for justice for their loved ones who were recklessly endangered by the negligence of the nursing homes run by Life Care Centers of America.

Examples of Federal Standard Violations

With facilities across 28 states, Life Care Centers are now coming under inspection as reports detail specific violations of new health standards in place to protect the most vulnerable from the novel coronavirus.

At some nursing homes, inspectors have witnessed lax social distancing protocols and improper or absent hand washing as aides go-between residents. Some locations have issues with securing isolation rooms, such as one home in Denver that allowed an infected patient to travel and interact with healthy patients around the facility without protective gear.

However, other locations are exhibiting more serious negligence. Facilities have demonstrated difficulties with keeping accurate infection logs, such as a Kansas facility that failed to log two fevered patients. One patient, with a fever of 103, was hospitalized and died.

Other facilities, like a home in Michigan, are not properly sanitizing medical equipment or tools between rooms. This Michigan home had a nursing assistant bring unsanitized medical equipment from an isolation room into a non-isolation room. Another home in the same state found aides without proper protective gear traveling between rooms of patients at risk for respiratory infections.

While many of the nursing homes with cited violations have submitted plans of correction to the government, families, and lawmakers are now calling for accountability from the company.

Contact an Attorney Today

As Life Care Centers see more than 2,000 cases and 250 deaths from the novel coronavirus, families and loved ones of residents of affected facilities are demanding action from the privately-owned company. As the company is listed as a for-profit, many are claiming that the lack of safety measures and the federal standard violations come as the company prioritized their monetary gain over the safety and wellbeing of residents.

If you are looking to pursue a negligence case against Life Care Centers of America or another nursing home company, you could benefit from the hardworking attorneys at Karlin & Karlin. Our lawyers not only have experience dealing with the complexities of nursing home negligence cases, but they understand the emotional difficulties of holding a company accountable for their actions against elderly loved ones.

Whether you want to explore your legal options or you want to start your case against a negligent nursing home, our experienced and compassionate lawyers could be there to help. With our attorneys by your side, you could pursue the justice that your loved one deserves.