Finding the right nursing home, rehabilitation center, or assisted living facility for your loved one can involve weeks or months of research and visits. When you think you’ve found the right one, it can feel like a weight lifting off your shoulders.
Not every nursing home is what it appears to be at first, though. If your parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other family member was harmed while in the care of a Life Care Centers of America facility, they may be owed compensation. In this blog, we’ll review some of the known problems with one of our country’s largest chains of nursing homes, why some people are choosing to sue, and the steps you can take toward filing a lawsuit.
Table of Contents
Key Highlights
- Life Care Centers of America Inc. earned more than $2 billion in sales in 2020 alone.
- The company paid $145 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of violating the False Claims Act.
- Patients and family members routinely review Life Care Centers of America poorly.
Life Care Centers of America—One of the Biggest Privately Held Chains of Nursing Homes
With more than 200 facilities operating in 27 states, Life Care Centers of America is one of the largest privately held elder care companies in the United States. Headquartered in Tennessee, it employs more than 40,000 workers. In 2020, the company amassed $2.7 billion in sales.
As one of the largest providers of skilled rehabilitation, nursing, and Alzheimer’s care in the U.S., you might expect to see Life Care Centers of America regularly ranking among the safest elder care facilities. Unfortunately, you would be wrong.
Despite having an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating & accreditation, Life Care Centers of America has earned only one out of five stars for customer reviews on the BBB’s website. Many of its facilities have also earned only one-star ratings on Medicare’s Find and Compare Tool, a website that allows individuals to research nursing home facilities.
A Pattern of Dishonesty and Inadequate Care for Patients
Facilities owned and operated by Life Care Centers of America have shown time and time again that their priorities aren’t with the patients—they’re with the profits.
In Oct. 2016, Life Care settled a lawsuit filed against it by the federal government. The lawsuit alleged that Life Care Centers of America had knowingly submitted false claims for unreasonable or unnecessary rehabilitation therapy services to both Medicare and TRICARE, a violation of the False Claims Act. Life Care Centers of America settled the lawsuit for $145 million.
Just four years later, the company was fined $611,000 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for one of its facility’s poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mishandling of an outbreak in the facility caused the nursing home to become a small epicenter, hospitalizing 57% of residents. Of those who were hospitalized, 25% died.
Why Are Patients and Families Suing Life Care Centers of America?
When we place our loved ones in the care of a nursing home, rehabilitation center, or assisted living facility, we are entrusting their care, safety, and well-being to others. This is never easy. What’s even worse, though, is learning that the company you trusted to take care of your loved one did the opposite.
Whether you had a family member that was physically abused, ignored, left to fend for themselves, verbally harassed, or mistreated in any way, shape, or form, you know the devastation that can follow.
That’s why families of those who have been harmed in Life Care Centers of America facilities are taking action. Nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuits provide a legal avenue toward justice. When you file a lawsuit, you are taking a stand against abuse, neglect, and wrongdoing.
So why are people filing lawsuits against Life Care? It’s because:
- It’s one of the most effective ways to recover compensation for the pain that residents have been through
- Life Care Centers of America has proven again and again that they are more concerned with the profits of their shareholders than the health of their residents
- Taking this step can potentially impact real change that protects both current and future residents
How To File a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Against Life Care Centers of America
You know that your loved one deserved better. Now that they’ve been harmed by those entrusted with their care, it’s time to take action.
But where are you supposed to begin?
You need to be prepared when filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, which is why we recommend working closely with an elder abuse law firm that can help you build the strongest possible legal complaint.
When filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, you must first file a legal complaint. This is a document that provides:
- An explanation of the ways in which the victim was hurt,
- Facts and evidence relevant to acts of abuse or neglect, and
- Names of all involved parties, including the facility.
Details are important even in this early stage. What you get wrong in your legal complaint can reflect poorly on your subsequent lawsuit, impacting your loved one’s right to compensation.
After you’ve filed your legal complaint, you and your attorney can move forward with filing a lawsuit. It is important to work with an attorney who has an in-depth understanding and knowledge of both local and federal laws regulating nursing homes. As one of the largest providers of residential elder care in the U.S., Life Care Centers of America can be a formidable opponent. Filing a lawsuit against a big company that is equipped with its own team of lawyers is nothing short of overwhelming.
Thomas Law Offices Believes in Standing Up for Our Elderly Population
Adults aged 65 and older are among some of the most vulnerable in our society. At Thomas Law Offices, we are proud to stand up for those who need it most.
The legal team at Thomas Law Offices can help you investigate suspicions of nursing home abuse at Life Care Centers of America facilities in any state, including Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and anywhere else in the United States.
Your first meeting is always free, and we may be able to take your case on a contingency fee basis. Call or contact us online to schedule your no-cost case evaluation.
Who We Are
Reviews
