Three nursing homes in Ohio and Pennsylvania have agreed to pay $3.61 million to settle claims that they billed Medicare and Medicaid for care that was dangerously below standard, according to settlement documents provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The facilities — Cheltenham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia, The Sanctuary at Wilmington Place in Dayton, and Samaritan Care Center and Villa in Medina — are all affiliated with American Health Foundation, a nonprofit based in Dublin, Ohio.
According to federal investigators, the residences failed to provide their inhabitants with basic care and respect from 2016 to 2018. According to the United States Department of Justice, the homes were accused of the following:
- Keeping residents in dirty, pest-infested buildings
- Providing unnecessary medications, which include powerful antipsychotics and sedatives
- Failing to provide psychiatric care for residents
- Neglecting to create care plans or monitor medications
- Leaving residents without activities, stimulation, or protection of personal belongings
“These are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna Jenny said in a statement. “Nursing homes are expected to treat them with dignity and respect — not cut corners while collecting taxpayer money.”
The government’s complaint, filed in 2022, also highlighted staffing shortages and poor infection control, which put people at further risk.
While the nursing homes denied wrongdoing, they agreed to a multimillion-dollar deal to resolve the allegations.