(ALBION, NEW YORK) – New York Attorney General Letitia James HAS filed a lawsuit against Comprehensive at Orleans LLC - doing business as The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center (The Villages), a nursing home in Albion, for years of financial fraud that resulted in significant resident neglect and harm.

Following an extensive investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General, the lawsuit - filed against the owners, operators and related companies - demonstrates how the owners took advantage of New York State’s Medicaid Program to increase their personal profits, rather than use those funds for the intended purposes of staffing and patient care.

“Every individual deserves to live out their golden years in comfort and with dignity,” Attorney General James said. “Yet, the abject failure of The Villages and its owners to uphold their duty under the law caused residents to suffer inhumane treatment, neglect and harm.  Instead of investing in staffing and resources, the owners allegedly disregarded laws designed to protect residents.  I will continue to monitor nursing homes and residential care facilities statewide to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable communities.  I encourage anyone who has witnessed alarming conditions, resident neglect, or abuse at a nursing home to contact my office.” 

Grace Bogdanove, who serves as Vice-President for Western New York Nursing Homes at 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers East - the Nation’s Largest Health Care Union, released the following statement: “We commend AG James for investigating and exposing for-profit nursing home operators who profit from taxpayer monies at the expense of resident care.  The allegations outlined in this lawsuit are appalling and tragic yet all too familiar to Nursing Home Workers who experience the impact of resources being funneled away from the bedside and into the owner’s pockets.  These findings underscore the importance of recent NY Nursing Home Reform Laws which bring greater transparency and oversight to the industry.  We call for full accountability for all nursing home owners who continue to violate the law or fail to prioritize quality care and safe staffing for our residents.”

Under New York law, owners of nursing homes have a “special obligation” to provide a high level of care and quality of life for residents, and to ensure the facility is sufficiently staffed so as to provide that care, James’ Office said.

The Villages’ owners failed in their duty to residents by engaging in a scheme to divert funds away from the facility to increase their own personal profit, drastically cutting staffing at The Villages to do so, the Attorney General’s Office charged.

With this lawsuit, OAG seeks to compel the owners to return all funds fraudulently received, to appoint a receiver and financial monitor to stop the self-dealing and a health care monitor to improve care, and to require The Villages to stop admitting new patients until further notice, James’ Office also announced.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-sues-orleans-county-nursing-home-years-fraud-and-resident And www.1199seiu.org/media-center/1199seiu-statement-ag-lawsuit-against-villages-orleans