The owner of a nursing home in Festus, Missouri, who admitted to stealing more than $667,000 from Medicaid, was sentenced in a federal court to 41 months in prison. According to a news report, the 53-year-old man spent most of the money on strippers, gambling, pet care, and country club fees. He has been ordered to be on supervised probation for three years after his release and to pay the money back. Nursing home abuse comes in many forms, and if you believe you have a loved one who has been subjected to this type of cruel abuse, do not hesitate to contact an experienced lawyer who can file a RI nursing home abuse lawsuit on you and your loved one’s behalf.
Residents Suffer from Severe Neglect
The tragic reality of this situation is that conditions at Benchmark Healthcare, which this man owned, got so bad that in the summer of 2016, the state of Missouri needed to rescue 60 residents. An earlier investigation showed that the nursing home’s owner was stealing Medicaid money knowing well that residents, who were most in need of support and care, were being denied food and medicines and living in a facility that was filled with trash and infested with flies.
Prosecutors said this was unlike other health care fraud that they had seen. The nursing home had no money to pay for food. Employees even had to spend their own personal funds to pay for groceries because some of these residents went hungry for days. Things got so bad that during an inspection, an employee was seen trying to make a smoothie from seven pieces of dry toast. In follow-up visits, investigators also found that nursing home residents who were suffering from conditions such as congestive heart failure, epilepsy and schizophrenia were not getting the medicines they needed because pharmacy bills had not been paid in months. This type of behavior occurs more than we would like to believe, so we encourage you to report even the slightest concern you may have with a loved one’s facility.
Holding Nursing Homes Accountable
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have a responsibility and a legal obligation to provide quality care to residents who are often frail and vulnerable. These individuals who are in the golden years of their lives deserve to be treated with love and dignity. When we place our loved one in nursing homes, we expect them to have a certain quality of life. This particular case in Missouri is an extreme example of nursing home neglect and exploitation by an owner.
It is tragically common for many nursing homes across the country to put profits before people and understaff their facilities in order to increase their profits. When this happens, it is the residents who suffer. They don’t get the care, attention and nourishment they need at this stage in their lives. Nursing homes that neglect their residents or allow abuse to take place should be held accountable.
Why Call Us?
If your loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home or assisted living facility, it is important that you understand your legal rights and options. The personal injury law firm of d’Oliveira & Associates is working with highly experienced nursing home abuse lawyers who are fighting hard to protect the rights of residents and their families. These lawyers charge no legal fees unless they get you the settlement or award you are entitled to. Fill out a contact form online or call us toll-free at 1-800-992-6878 to schedule a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.
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Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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