Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
According to a recent article from Modern Healthcare, a Riverside nursing home owned by Schlomo Rechnitz was the target of an FBI investigation. The FBI served search warrants at the Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre late last month, but the agency has not yet commented on the nature of its investigation. Have more issues of nursing home abuse and neglect arisen at facilities in our state?
Learning about nursing home abuse and neglect allegations in Southern California can be disconcerting, particularly when you have an elderly loved one who receives care at a nursing home or assisted living facility in our state. If you have concerns about a senior’s safety, you should contact an experienced San Diego nursing home abuse attorney.
Renewed Scrutiny into Rechnitz Facilities
As a report in the Sacramento Bee emphasizes, the recent investigation into another nursing facility owned by Rechnitz likely will not come as a surprise to many Californians, given that the California attorney general’s office has already filed criminal charges against former top administrators who worked at facilities owned by the Los Angeles-based entrepreneur.
A spokesperson for the FBI, Laura Eimiller, did confirm that “FBI agents executed search warrants seeking evidence in relation to alleged criminal activity at the 99-bed facility in Riverside” that Rechnitz currently owns. While Eimiller could not disclose details of the investigation, she did indicate that FBI agents “took documents” from the facility. She also noted that “patients were not removed or even disturbed” when the raid took place.
Some of you might remember that Rechnitz’s California facilities “have been the focus of multiple local, state, and federal probes” in recent months as health officials in our state have begun scrutinizing nursing homes with alleged incidents or nursing home abuse and neglect.
History of Rechnitz Nursing Homes in California
Over the last ten years, Rechnitz greatly expanded his ownership of nursing facilities throughout the state. Based on a Sacramento Bee investigation, Rechnitz currently owns “about 1 in every 14 skilled nursing beds in the state,” and he has “an estimated 80 homes under his control.” In other words, Rechnitz’s facilities provide care for a large number of seniors in California who need personalized medical attention and care. To be sure, he has “widespread influence on the quality of care being delivered in skilled nursing facilities, which serve some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.”
Many of those facilities have been cited for failing to live up to the standards of care that we expect in sites that care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Last year alone, Rechnitz’s facilities had “nearly triple as many serious deficiencies per 1,000 beds as the statewide average in 2014.”
Spokespeople for Rechnitz have underscored that they have no knowledge of the basis for the FBI’s investigation, but that they currently are cooperating.
Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious issue in Southern California. It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse, and to reach out to an aggressive San Diego nursing home abuse lawyer if you suspect your elderly loved one has suffered a serious injury. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can help with your case.
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