Class Action Lawsuit Against Nursing Home Chain

Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., the 10th largest nursing home chain in 2009, is involved in a class-action lawsuit currently unfolding in California, which claims that they have put elderly residents at risk and skirted state law by skimping on staff to make more money.

The class-action case includes more than 32,000 nursing home residents, who claim that staffing problems have plagued homes operated by Skilled Healthcare Group Inc. The plaintiffs argue that understaffing is one of the primary causes of inadequate care and often unsafe conditions in skilled nursing homes. They hope to collect a multimillion-dollar judgment and improve care.

Plaintiffs contend that the California nursing homes were out of compliance for thousands of days over the six-year period covered by the lawsuit, and penalties can be up to $500 per resident for each day the law was violated.

California Health and Safety Code requires that nursing homes provide at least 3.2 nursing hours per resident per day, which includes care by registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and certified nursing assistants.

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Nursing Home Chain Involved in Staffing Class Action Lawsuit