ManorCare operates 300 nursing homes in 31 states nationwide. The suit alleges that ManorCare systemically failed to meet the standards of the Nursing Home Reform Act. Based in part on a sampling of complaints and violations confirmed by state health authorities, the suit highlights cases of ManorCare staff repeatedly failing to respond to call lights and forcing patients to sit in their own waste for hours, as well as instances of patients developing necrotic oozing bedsores from unsanitary conditions, lack of turning, and malnutrition. According to the complaint, ManorCare has received dozens of California Department of Health Services violations and deficiency notices, despite knowing about inspections in advance. Two ManorCare facilities were cited for poor nutrition that put residents in serious jeopardy, and five ManorCare facilities had a higher degree of reported pressure sores than the national average.
Pressure sores are a strong indication of neglectful care.
When you are dealing with human lives, you can't put profits first. Five of the nine ManorCare facilities named in the suit are located outside the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, while the other four are scattered throughout northern California. Thousands of elderly residents live in the nine facilities identified in the complaint, and approximately 120,000 elderly reside in California nursing homes. The suit alleges ManorCare violated the California Business and Professions Code by engaging in unfair and fraudulent business practices, as well as untrue and misleading advertising. The suit points out examples of ManorCare's false and deceptive advertising.