New calls for elder abuse accountability after Mesa assisted living settlement

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the settlement last month with the California-based company following allegations of elder abuse and fraud.

By Jason Barry

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The owners of Heritage Village Assisted Living facility have been permanently banned from operating healthcare facilities in Arizona.

As part of the settlement with the Arizona Attorney Generals’ Office they also must pay a $100,000 fine.

Arizona AG Kris Mayes announced the settlement last month with the California-based company following allegations of elder abuse and fraud at the Mesa facility. The agreement prohibits the owners from providing healthcare services to vulnerable adults in Arizona.

The case began after multiple reports in 2023 and 2024 exposed issues at Heritage Village that led to a state investigation and lawsuit. Families reported incidents of mistreatment and abuse of residents at the facility.

Family says settlement is insufficient

Renee Caruss said her mother, Carol, was among the residents who were mistreated at Heritage Village. In one incident, Carol was reportedly attacked by another patient.

“You expect with all the money they get that she would be taken care of properly - she wasn’t - she wasn’t taken care of,” Caruss said.

She believes the settlement does not provide enough accountability for what happened at the facility.

“The people that were running that facility knew exactly what they were doing the person the director at the time she’s working at another facility right now,” Caruss said.

Attorney General defends actions

The Attorney General’s office said its priority was protecting Heritage Village residents and preventing similar issues at other long-term care centers.

“Protecting Arizona’s most vulnerable residents has been one of my top priorities since taking office,” Mayes said in a statement. “In the Heritage Village case alone, we seized control of the facility, replaced its management, forced the sale to responsible ownership, and removed the prior owners from operating two other Arizona facilities.”

The Attorney General’s office noted that when Heritage Village faced foreclosure and potential license revocation, their intervention prevented mass displacement of elderly residents.

Legislative changes follow case

Dana Kennedy, state director of AARP Arizona, said the Heritage Village case led to important legislation that better protects vulnerable adults.

The changes include stiffer penalties on care facilities, with fines increased from $500 per day to $1,000 per day per resident per infraction. The legislation also increased training for memory care, added hiring restrictions for caregivers accused of abuse or neglect, and expanded oversight.

“One important thing is it closed a licensing loophole so it prevents bad actors from evading oversight and it doesn’t allow DHS they cant transfer license to another person it holds them accountable,” Kennedy said.

Case continues against other defendants

The case remains active against several other defendants despite the state settlement. An attorney for one of the victims said that families are unlikely to receive money in civil cases they have filed.

The former manager of Heritage Village can still work in the industry, but her license has been revoked, and she will never again be able to manage a long-term care center.

Attorney Jennifer Wasserman represents the former owners who reached the settlement.

“This agreement ends strongly-contested claims without any admission of wrongdoing,” Wasserman said. “Regardless of the Attorney General’s self-serving statements in their press release on this topic, the health and safety of the employees and residents at Heritage Village have always been a high priority to the defendants.”

Gary Langendoen, representing the defendants, said they disputed the validity of the Attorney General’s claims.

“We have always disputed the validity of the Attorney General’s claims, particularly after some of the assertions stated in their press releases were proven to be false based on incomplete and inaccurate information from the receiver’s office,” Langendoen said. “Putting this litigation behind us allows these defendants, the dedicated employees and valued residents to move forward.” 

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New calls for elder abuse accountability after Mesa assisted living settlement