New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against a nursing home in Orleans County, alleging fraud and patient neglect.
The suit against ‘The Villages’ in Albion claims that the owners of the facility misused more than $18 million in government funds.
In a news conference on Tuesday, James said that, ``Under New York law, owners of nursing homes have a special obligation, a special duty to provide a high level of care and quality for residents and to ensure facilities are sufficiently staff to provide the care. The owners failed this duty at every level.”
James alleges that while the the owners were pocketing millions that were supposed to be reinvested in the facility, they were also drastically cutting staff, subjecting residents to what she calls inhumane conditions.
``Failing to provide proper wound care, causing residents to develop dangerous infections, including but not limited to bed sores. Failure to meet basic care needs, leaving residents unattended in dirty diapers for hours on end,” James said.
The lawsuit seeks to compel the nursing home owners to return all funds fraudulently received, to appoint a financial monitor as well as a healthcare monitor to improve care, and to stop admitting new patients until further notice.
WXXI News reached out to The Villages for comment, but did not get a response yet.
