Enforcement
Attorney General Maura Healey announced a $90,000 settlement with Milton HC Operating, LLC to resolve neglect allegations, resulting in death. Milton must pay $90,000 to the Long-Term Care Facility Quality Improvement Fund. The Department of Public Health uses the Fund to improve the safety and quality of care provided in long-term care facilities.
The settlement is related to a October 30, 2017 incident. The facility found a resident unresponsive with difficulty in breathing. The facility failed to adequately respond to the emergency situation. In 2019 alone, Healey reached a series of settlements with seven other nursing homes to resolve allegations of endangerment that resulted in injury, or in severe cases, death. AG Healey promised:
“This settlement holds this facility responsible for failing to comply with those regulations, resulting in the tragic death of a resident. We’ll continue to prioritize cases like this to protect the health and safety of nursing home residents.”
Not sure why the settlement took 3 years but at least the family gets closure and vindication.
I wish South Carolina would protect vulnerable adults in nursing homes. As a nursing home attorney for over 25 years, the lack of enforcement is problematic. The failure to investigate allows repeat offenders to go undiscovered and unpunished.