Family sues nursing home after 93-year-old man allegedly fell to his death

By Mike Mason and Jordan Gartner

AURORA, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) — The family of a 93-year-old man is suing a nursing home, alleging staff failed to properly supervise him and allowed him to fall three times in five days, with the final fall proving fatal.

According to a lawsuit filed Nov. 12, Roger Andrews died from a blunt impact to his head and neck after falling face-first from his wheelchair at the Avenue at Aurora Care and Rehabilitation Center in January.

A family is suing an Aurora nursing home after their father’s fatal fall.(WOIO)

An active lifestyle cut short

Andrews was not a typical 93-year-old. His children, Bruce Andrews and Karen Langenderfer, said their father remained adventurous well into his 80s.

“He was a big sports fan,” Bruce Andrews said. “Oh yeah, a die-hard Cleveland fan for years and years.”

“He was always up for an adventure,” Langenderfer said. “He wanted to go zip lining. My daughter wanted to go parasailing. And he said, I’ll do that too.”

Andrews lived alone in his 90s until he fell in his apartment. He was hospitalized and discharged directly to the Avenue at Aurora in early January.

“He went into the nursing home to get stronger, and that didn’t happen,” Langenderfer said.

High fall risk assessment allegedly ignored

The lawsuit states that nursing home records show Aurora assessed Andrews as a high fall risk on Jan. 9 and determined a nurse or staff member needed to be with him at all times.

However, despite this designation, Andrews reportedly fell three times within five days of his arrival.

Roger’s family hired attorney Michael Hill, whose practice is solely based on nursing home abuse litigation.

Hill said the facility failed to implement proper safety measures.

“They deemed that he needed one-to-one assistance until they could transition him somewhere else, they being the nursing home,” he said. “They don’t put interventions in place; he hits his back and his neck. Sadly, he gets a brain bleed. He has a broken neck, and he passes away.”

Fatal fall details

The lawsuit claims facility staff left Andrews sitting alone in his wheelchair longer than anticipated.

He began leaning to his right and fell face-first from the chair, striking his head and causing a large, bleeding laceration.

Andrews was rushed to the hospital, where Bruce Andrews stayed by his side for days.

When Langenderfer told her brother to take a break, their father died.

“I think in my heart of hearts that dad waited for Bruce to be gone because Bruce had promised my mom that he would keep an eye on dad,” Langenderfer said. “I think dad waited to go.”

Medical examiner findings

The medical examiner determined Andrews died from a blunt impact to his head and neck. The death certificate noted the injury occurred due to a history of falls and ruled the manner of death an accident.

Lawsuit claims

Hill filed the lawsuit against Avenue at Aurora and its parent company, Progressive Quality Care, based in Parma. The suit claims medical negligence and wrongful death.

“It’s not just the nursing home’s fault. It’s the nursing home corporation’s fault,” Hill said.

No response from the facility

Avenue at Aurora declined a request to comment on the siaution. A manager also asked reporters to leave the facility.

Progressive Quality Care did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

The family said it continues to grieve while seeking answers about their father’s death.

“The healing process has not had a chance to finalize because every day the band-aid’s getting ripped off again,” Bruce Andrews said.

Progressive Quality Care’s website states that it owns about a dozen nursing homes, with most in northeast Ohio.

Nursing homes are available to check online along with previous inspections. 

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Family sues nursing home after 93-year-old man allegedly fell to his death 

Nursing homes singled out in annual Justice report on elder abuse

by Kimberly Marselas

The Justice Department’s civil division this week published its annual report to Congress on efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse, highlighting several high-profile nursing home investigations in addition to pages of international financial scams.

The priority Justice Department officials are putting on “ensuring patient safety and … stopping fraud, waste, and abuse” in nursing homes could serve as notice to providers that the department intends to continue pursuing cases against facilities despite the Trump administration’s broader deregulation push.

While the report devotes the most space to US and international fraudsters who aim to scam elders out of their savings, the department also touted holding multiple nursing home operators “accountable for providing grossly substandard care to vulnerable Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.”

Nursing homes were the only healthcare providers targeted in the report.

It highlights four nursing home cases associated with the National Nursing Home Initiative, which enhances the department’s efforts to investigate and pursue nursing home operators that provide grossly substandard care to their residents. 

“Over the past year, the Department’s National Nursing Home Initiative has redoubled its efforts to work with key partners in identifying and reporting abuse in our nation’s nursing homes,” report authors wrote, noting coordination with the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “This Initiative focuses on some of the worst quality nursing homes and their owners, operators and affiliates around the country.”

Cases included in this year’s report include:

• A June settlement with the nonprofit American Health Foundation and three affiliated nursing homes, accused of billing Medicare and Medicaid for grossly substandard skilled nursing services between 2016 and 2018 

• A $4.5 million settlement with The Villas Nursing Facilities and six Detroit-area nursing homes in July. The government alleged they accepted taxpayer funds while providing grossly substandard care to their residents. The case originated as a federal whistleblower lawsuit by Villa employees, who claimed they personally witnessed the mistreatment of residents, the Justice Department noted.

• A restitution collection of $15 million in May, following the previous convictions of two Pittsburgh area nursing homes for making false statements in connection with the payment of healthcare benefits and for obstructing and impeding a CMS investigation. Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services and its Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center were found guilty on six and four counts, respectively, by a federal jury in December 2023.

• Guilty pleas in January from KBWB Operations LLC, which did business as Atrium Health and Senior Living, and its former CEO Kevin Breslin, on one count each of healthcare fraud and one count of tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities.

In all, the report outlines more than 280 criminal and civil enforcement actions against more than 600 defendants, including scams in which the accused stole or attempted to steal more than $2 billion from more than one million older Americans. 

For additional coverage of the Justice Department’s efforts to head off and disable scammers, see McKnight’s Senior Living. 

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Nursing homes singled out in annual Justice report on elder abuse 

KARE 11 Investigates: Death raises new fraud allegations in Minnesota’s Medicaid-funded ICS program

As costs soar and audits expand, one mother says her son’s death reveals the real-world price of neglect and alleged fraud. 

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KARE 11 Investigates: Death raises new fraud allegations in Minnesota’s Medicaid-funded ICS program 

City to pay $5.8M in class action over elder abuse at Laguna Honda

by Kimberly Marselas

Months after it secured a Five-Star rating and was widely celebrated for completing its rebound from Medicare decertification, San Francisco’s largest nursing home continues to pay the price for safety and privacy lapses that predated the pandemic. 

The city and its Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center were set to settle a lawsuit over explicit photos of patients for $5.8 million, if a legal agreement was blessed by a city oversight committee Thursday night.

The settlement conditions were reported by San Francisco’s PBS television station Thursday morning. The lawsuit is one of several connected to an alleged patient abuse scandal at Laguna Honda, which has a long history of caring for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, including seniors, the homeless and those with behavioral health needs and substance abuse issues.

It was rocked by scandal and allegations of unacceptable care between 2016 and 2021, when two patients experienced non-fatal overdoses. That triggered intervention by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which revoked Medicare coverage for stays and moved to shutdown the massive facility.

But after four patients died following transfers, CMS relented. The facility accepted significant federal oversight and intervention. During that time, city and building leaders acknowledged major shortfalls in previous years and developed a 960-point recovery plan. The building earned its certification back earlier this year.

The expected settlement is the latest accounting for Laguna Honda, which the senior advocacy group Gray Panthers said will have paid out $12 million in settlements. In this case, the $5.8 million will be distributed among 735 current and former patients, PBS reported.

The lawsuit had alleged that staff took explicit photos of multiple patients and disseminated them, and accused the facility of other abuse and privacy violations. 

The accusations reflect a national concern: Humiliating and demeaning social media posts made by nursing home staff without patient permission were the subject of a recent report calling on CMS to better protect residents from such abuse.

In a statement, the San Francisco Public Health Department said it had implemented a “significant restructuring.” 

Laguna Honda “has been the focus of extensive improvements facility-wide, including new policies, enhanced quality management protocols, and new programs that align with national best practices,” a spokesperson said. “This is all with the goal of creating a lasting culture of safety, transparency, and continuous improvement.”

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City to pay $5.8M in class action over elder abuse at Laguna Honda 

Utah care center owner spent nearly $200K of elderly woman's money, charges say

By Pat Reavy 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Gage Wallace Hedberg, 32, is charged with exploiting an elderly woman financially.
• Hedberg allegedly spent nearly $200,000 on personal items using the woman's funds, charges say.
• The woman's finances were depleted, leaving her with insufficient income for housing expenses.

HURRICANE, Washington County — The owner of an assisted living center in southern Utah is facing criminal charges accusing him of spending nearly $200,000 of an 81-year-old woman's money on himself for items such as food, Halloween costumes, large screen televisions, video games and sex toys.

Gage Wallace Hedberg, 32, of Hurricane, was charged Wednesday in 5th District Court with four counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, both second-degree felonies.

Between Nov. 3, 2022, and Feb. 28 of this year, Hedberg owned and operated Life Family Personal Care, 158 N. 240 East in Hurricane, according to charging documents. During that time, he provided services to an 81-year-old woman and had power of attorney.

"The power of attorney included provisions that required the defendant to: act in (the woman's) best interest; act in good faith; and act loyally for (the woman's) benefit," the charges state.

Instead, Hedberg allegedly "withdrew significant amounts of cash" from the woman's checking account for his own use.

"In total, (he) diverted approximately $159,068 to $197,294 for his own benefit," according to the charges.

Prosecutors say the woman "had sufficient income and funds to meet her needs and maintain her modest standard of living." But after Hedberg used her money, "she was left with less than $5,000 and insufficient income to cover her expenses."

Among his purchases, Hedberg "had 241 items from Amazon shipped to his address totaling $11,539. These purchases included, but were not limited to office supplies, electronics, a mini split air conditioner, men's clothing, Halloween costumes, sex toys and lubricants, kitchen supplies, video gaming equipment and musical supplies," according to charging documents.

In addition, he made "47 purchases at Costco, including two membership renewals. These purchases totaled $12,904. Costco provided receipts for approximately 27 of these purchases. All 27 were made under the defendant's membership account. These purchases include, but are not limited to, food, household supplies, dental products, kitchen supplies, bedding, vitamins/probiotics, toiletries, clothing, batteries, electrical products, a computer monitor, (a 75-inch screen TV and a 77-inch screen TV), a printer, car products, Pokémon cards and a vacuum," the charges allege.

Investigators also noted tens of thousands of dollars of purchases for items that "appear inconsistent with (the woman's) historical spending and interests," including video games, liquor store purchases, smoke shop purchases, "mobile IV services related to hangovers," and home improvement projects. Prosecutors say Hedberg also made nearly $34,000 in cash withdraws from the woman's account.

After gaining power of attorney for the woman in 2022, investigators say Hedberg "sold (the woman's) home and used the proceeds, along with (her) finances," according to a search warrant affidavit served in connection with the case.

The Utah Attorney General's Office became involved with the investigation when Hedberg went to another assisted living center in Hurricane — where the woman now resides — in an attempt to help secure Medicaid for the woman.

"Hedberg told the staff that (the woman) was almost out of money to pay for her care at the facility," according to the affidavit.

But after reviewing her bank statements, the staff told Hedberg that the woman would not qualify for Medicaid because of her high level of spending, the affidavit says.

At that point, Hedberg admitted he "had made a mistake" and had spent the woman's money, according to the warrant.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Utah care center owner spent nearly $200K of elderly woman's money, charges say 

Attorney General Nessel Releases Latest Elder Abuse Task Force Newsletter

November 20, 2025

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released the latest edition of the Elder Abuse Task Force newsletter, highlighting significant progress in efforts to protect Michigan’s older adults. The issue features resources for residents and an update on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Adult Protective Services program.

“The Elder Abuse Task Force has made significant strides in our efforts to protect Michigan’s older adults, and this newsletter offers a glimpse of what we’ve accomplished this year,” Nessel said. “I am proud of the collaboration and dedication shown by our partners across the state, and I know that they will continue this great work next year and beyond.”

The newsletter includes the Michigan Office of the Auditor General’s recently-released follow-up report (PDF) to its February 2022 audit of the Adult Protective Services program. Covering activities from October 1, 2022, to February 28, 2025, the follow-up review shows that MDHHS has made significant corrections in four audit recommendations: law enforcement reporting, supervisory review, timely investigations, and staff training.

The newsletter also highlights major Elder Abuse Task Force accomplishments in 2025, including:

• Amendments to the Michigan Uniform Securities Act. The change affected those who hold certain positions in the financial sector. They are now mandatory reporters of suspected financial abuse of vulnerable adults.
• Updated Elder Abuse & Task Force (EATF) pages. The webpages define physical, emotional, and financial abuse. They also identify warning signs like unexplained injuries and missing funds.
• Multilingual EATF brochures. Agencies or organizations that have a mission consistent with the EATF may request copies by sending an email with the subject line “EATF brochure request.”
• House passage of Surrogate Consent Statute legislation. House Bills 4418, 4419, and 4734 create a clear process for medical consent. They also protect vulnerable adults and improve patient care. The bills are waiting to be reviewed by the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety.

Readers are also reminded that free, fillable Power of Attorney forms are now available for download on the Department of Attorney General’s website. The forms, prepared by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Cooley Law School, make it easier for Michigan residents and their family members to appoint a trusted individual to make important financial and medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.

More than 100,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. They experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Michigan residents seeking elder abuse resources are encouraged to call 800-24-ABUSE (22873), or 855-444-3911 to report suspected elder abuse.

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Attorney General Nessel Releases Latest Elder Abuse Task Force Newsletter 

AG Sunday Launches Elder Exploitation Section to Expand Protections for Older Pennsylvanians; Focus will be on Financial Theft and Fraud

November 18, 2025 | Topic: Criminal

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the launch of the Office of Attorney General’s Elder Exploitation Section — an expansion of protections and services for seniors, with focus on deterring financial theft and holding offenders criminally responsible.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Sunday joined legislative leaders and advocate organizations at the State Capitol Building to formally announce the section’s launch.

The section will primarily focus on cases involving financial exploitation, deception, and theft from older residents — typically perpetrated by relatives, caregivers, and/or appointed conservators and powers of attorney.

“These cases are as heartbreaking as they are financially devastating to the senior victims, who are oftentimes deceived out of their life savings by someone they trust,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The many partners who joined us in this announcement share the common mission of protecting seniors by raising awareness to prevent these crimes and deterring criminal behavior by holding accountable those who do harm.”

The section, led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Elizabeth Schneider and Chief Agent Lucas Miller, was created by reassigning existing staff who have backgrounds and experience in the elder law space.

The section is already up and running with a caseload of about 30.

These are complex cases, involving meticulous review of financial records and other documents. Municipal police departments may not have the resources required to take on these investigations. The Elder Exploitation Section will have the resources, and expects referrals to come from police departments, county, state, and federal agencies — and other sources.

The Office of Attorney General will continue efforts to assist seniors through other sections and staff, including the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Health Care Section, Office of Public Engagement, and Medicaid Fraud Control Section, among others.

Among those on hand Tuesday were Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich, Secretary of Banking and Securities Wendy Spicher, Pa. Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr, Pa. Sen. Maria Collett, Pa. Rep. Maureen Madden, Pa. Rep. Steven Mentzer, and other legislators.

Also present were representatives from AARP, SeniorLAW Center, Alzheimer’s Association, NOVA, LeadingAge PA, Pa. Health Care Association, Pa. Home Care Association, Pa Bankers Association, The American Legion, and VFW Department of Pennsylvania. 

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AG Sunday Launches Elder Exploitation Section to Expand Protections for Older Pennsylvanians; Focus will be on Financial Theft and Fraud 

Elder scams are horrible, says Utah filmmaker. His heartbreak became ‘Sweepstakes’

By Pamela McCall

Every year, seniors in Utah lose $92 million to financial exploitation, according to figures from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Across the U.S., FBI internet crime data show elders were bilked out of $16.6 billion by fraudsters in 2024 — a 33% increase from the previous year. The reported losses are likely higher, says the FBI, because “older Americans are less likely to report fraud because they either don’t know how to report it, are embarrassed, or don’t know they’ve been scammed.”

Fraudsters know seniors may have savings, can be trusting, a little naive, and, in some cases, even be in the throes of dementia. That's the case in the new Utah film called “Sweepstakes.” The plot was inspired by real-life events.

“My stepmother was scammed for a period of about 10 years, and she was suffering from dementia, but was undiagnosed,” said writer, director and producer Stephen Williams, a Salt Lake Community College film instructor. “We had no idea what was going on. She was sending gobs and gobs of money away every week to sweepstakes scams.”

When his family found out and confronted his stepmother, she was irate and refused to stop sending money to the scammers, not knowing fact from fiction.

“We didn’t know what to do,” Williams said. “My father was beside himself.”

His stepmother passed away at age 96 in 2022, but not before being defrauded of thousands of dollars.

The film that emerged started as a two-part series, but Williams has now produced a feature film, garnering interest from the AARP Utah and the FBI. Williams said representatives attended screenings and held panel discussions — shedding light on scammers who prey on the elderly, become friends with them and pretend to have their best interests at heart.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Pamela McCall: How does your film bring the sad reality of elder scams to life?

Stephen Williams: The main character, 88-year-old Joanne, played by Anne Culimore Decker, is sliding into dementia. She’s enraged because she thinks her adult children are trying to control her when they start to realize her money’s disappearing. In turn, the scammer convinces her that he’s the only one that can be trusted.

PM: Joanne’s daughter discovers $9,000 missing from her mother’s account. Her brother tries to give his mom the benefit of the doubt. Is it hard for people to believe this can happen in their own family?

SW: Who wants to find out that a parent is being scammed, or that they have dementia? People might initially fight against it and write their loved one’s behavior off as normal memory decline that comes with aging. Meanwhile, the unscrupulous scammer is getting her to send him money. In the film, it totals $80,000.

PM: What can be done to protect against this kind of fraud?

SW: No matter who they think is calling, personal information shouldn’t ever be given out over the phone. Scammers can use caller ID to make it look like it’s someone the elderly person knows. Artificial Intelligence is particularly terrifying. A snippet of a family member’s voice and image can be gleaned from the internet and manipulated through AI to ask for money. It could be a Zoom call saying, “Grandma, I’m in prison in Ireland and need $15,000 right now,” when in fact, it’s a scammer.

PM: What will people take away from your film when it comes to elder scams?

SW: The film really is about reconciliation of the family, and ultimately, that's what matters. The money might be gone, but eyes are opened. The brother and sister judged their mother pretty harshly initially, but once they fully understood what happened, their hearts open, and there’s compassion. 

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Elder scams are horrible, says Utah filmmaker. His heartbreak became ‘Sweepstakes’ 

Appeals court hears dispute over conservatorship decisions, health‑care proxy and attorney fees after conservatee's death

This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error » 

Attorneys urged the Appeals Court to review a contested conservatorship and accounting trial that culminated in the removal of a conservator and an award of attorney's fees.

Robert O’Regan, appearing for an appellant, argued that some trial issues — including whether the health‑care proxy was properly invoked and whether the conservator had authority to keep Mr. Kuzma in long‑term care — remain justiciable despite Mr. Kuzma’s death because of possible fee awards and other remedies. He sought a remand on questions including potential surcharge of expenditures that might have improperly benefited the conservator.

Counsel for the conservator and prevailing parties defended the trial judge’s factual findings and fee award, noting an extensive factual record and the judge’s discretion in accounting matters. Michael Gillis, representing the conservator, said the record contained detailed findings spanning many paragraphs that supported the judge’s decisions.

The court questioned counsel about what practical relief would remain after the conservatee’s death. Appellants said attorney‑fees resolution and potential surcharge claims remain live; respondents argued that the death of the conservatee mooted many of the requested remedies.

The court took the argument under advisement; the appeal raises procedural and equitable questions about remedies available when the protected person dies after a contested conservatorship proceeding. 

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Appeals court hears dispute over conservatorship decisions, health‑care proxy and attorney fees after conservatee's death