Group Home Negligence

According to a recent report released by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on the state of nursing home violations, nursing facilities were among six provider types with the most patient abuse and neglect convictions tied to Medicaid than other provider types in 2023. 841 criminal and civil patient and abuse complaints related to the sector – topping all other categories – are still open to investigation as of the release of the report.

There are 238 open nursing home investigations tied to Medicaid fraud out of 16,833 among all provider types, according to the report issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The report is the latest in efforts by OIG to improve nursing home oversight and quality, and recover misappropriated funds. OIG found that nursing homes had 36 patient neglect and abuse convictions last year in investigations done by Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs). Nurse aides, nurses, personal care (PCS) attendants, family members or guardians, and developmental disability facility settings were the other five named categories in the OIG report.

MFCUs recovered $1.43 million in Medicaid criminal convictions from nursing homes for patient abuse and neglect, and $9.34 million in Medicaid civil settlements and judgments for the space. For comparison, MFCUs recovered $9.41 million from assisted living facilities and $2.46 million from family members or guardians for the same types of conviction recoveries. About $1.2 billion was recovered as a result of Medicaid convictions among all provider types, for both civil and criminal recoveries.

Earlier this year, the legal guardian for a 19-year-old boy who died while a resident at a Maryland group home for foster children in need of constant care filed suit against the group home, asserting that their negligence resulted in the boy’s premature death. According to one local Maryland news source, the patient died after spending several weeks in the group home for a bed sore that had spread to his bones.

Evidently, the lawsuit, which was filed early in February, claims that the group home was inadequately staffed when the 19-year-old patient was a resident in the home. The lawsuit notes that the group home specializes in the care of foster children who require constant or near-constant care, and that the home failed to provide an adequate number of nurses and other staff members to create a safe environment.

In addition to the lawsuit filed by the boy’s guardian, the Maryland Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud control team has also opened up an investigation into the propriety of the home as a safe and healing environment. While those participating in the investigation are not at liberty to discuss it, those familiar with the investigation have told reporters that it is centered on inadequate staff levels as well as the overall cleanliness of the facility.

Articles Posted in Group Home Negligence

Office of the Inspector General Releases Report on Nursing Home Oversight and Quality

Maryland Group Home Under Investigation After Death of 19-Year-Old Resident