California Nursing Home Sued for Abuse

Shannon Weidemann

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Pleasant Care Convalescent of Riverside is being sued by the family of a former resident for abuse they allege happened there. The resident was given physical therapy for 10 days for knee pain when in fact she has a broken hip and required surgery. While at the hospital for treatment is was found she had other signs of poor care, including bed sores.

"It's our theory that they're understaffed - they put their profits ahead of people," said Michael Young, Davis' attorney. "They make these representations that they're going to take good care of grandpa and grandma, and they don't."

La Ca ada Flintridge-based Pleasant Care Corp., the parent company of the Riverside skilled nursing facility, is also named as a defendant in the suit, which was filed Feb. 14 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Emmanuel Bernabe Jr., the company's attorney, declined to comment.

In March 2006, Pleasant Care settled a lawsuit brought by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer that cited 160 incidents of substandard care, documented by the Department of Health Services over five years. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay $1.3 million in fines and improve care at its 30 facilities statewide.

The nursing home claims to follow state mandated nursing home care which requires each patient to receive 3.2 hours of care each day. It had no comment on the former resident or the care she received.