In California, Action Against State’s Second Largest Nursing Home Chain

SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Bill announced that he has secured the settlement of a civil lawsuit he filed against Pleasant Care Corporation, the second largest provider of nursing home care in California, that will result in court-enforceable improvements in the quality of care for elderly Californians at 30 facilities statewide.

“All Californians are entitled to know that they are not putting personal life or health at risk when they or an elderly loved one is placed in the care of a nursing facility,” Lockyer said. “Despite dozens of warnings and fines, Pleasant Care was simply unable to provide an appropriate level of care for its residents. This injunction will make sure that Pleasant Care complies with existing law and also provides the best level of care possible.”

The settlement will result in a permanent injunction that resolves a civil lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lockyer’s lawsuit stems from numerous allegations of elder abuse and criminally negligent care, including more than 160 citations that the California Department of Health Services (DHS) has issued against Pleasant Care facilities across the state over the last five years for regulatory violations. The injunction was formally approved by Superior Court Judge Laura Matz.