New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Comprehensive at Orleans for neglect and using the state's Medicaid program for personal profit.
Owners of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home in Albion, "wove a complicated web of fraud" in order to divert funds meant for staffing and patient care into their own pockets, the Nov. 29 news release stated. It alleges the owners dramatically cut staffing in order to make personal profit, putting patients at risk.
According to the release, the investigation found residents were forced to sit in their own urine and feces for hours; suffered malnourishment and dehydration; developed sepsis, gangrene and other infections due to gaping bed sores and inadequate wound care; endured medical toxicity and unexplained doping; and sustained falls and other physical injuries. Some of these circumstances resulted in hospitalization and even death, according to the release.
The lawsuit aims to compel the owners to return funds fraudulently received, appoint a receiver and financial monitor to stop self-dealing, appoint a healthcare monitor to improve care, and require the nursing home to stop admitting patients until further notice.