Nursing Home Abuse News & Updates
Read the latest updates, news, and legal developments concerning elder and long-term care
2026
An investigation into resident violence at nursing homes and assisted living facilities reveals that altercations between residents, particularly those with dementia, occur frequently and are often preventable when facilities properly supervise residents, identify warning signs, and implement care interventions. Despite federal inspections citing nursing homes over 700 times since 2024 for failing to protect residents from resident-to-resident abuse, many facilities continue to lack adequate staffing and staff training to prevent these violent incidents.
2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a new Risk-Based Survey process beginning September 8, 2026 that will reduce inspection frequency and intensity for nursing homes deemed “high performers,” limiting oversight of facilities where quality can change quickly due to staffing shortages or management changes. Consumer Voice and resident advocates oppose the policy as it places vulnerable residents at heightened risk of undetected harm while the agency’s “golden trophy” designation on Care Compare misleads consumers about what the mark actually signifies.
2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed new Medicare enrollment rules on July 6, 2026 that would expand the agency’s authority to deny, revoke, and restrict provider participation, including retroactive revocations and broader reapplication bars for providers presenting fraud or abuse risks. The proposal would provide CMS with much-needed enforcement tools to prevent unqualified nursing home providers with histories of poor care from continuing to receive Medicare payments and harm residents.
2026
Research published in the National Bureau of Economic Research documents that nursing homes strategically increase staffing and care quality as annual inspections become imminent, then reduce both after surveys are completed, a pattern that directly correlates with resident survival rates. Researchers found that making inspections less predictable while maintaining the same survey frequency could save approximately 92 additional lives annually by encouraging facilities to maintain consistent care practices year-round rather than gaming the inspection system.
2026
Consumer Voice condemns a recent Department of Justice memorandum that undermines the core principle of Olmstead v. L.C. by weakening the ADA’s integration mandate and signaling to states that forced institutionalization is acceptable despite 27 years of precedent. The agency warns that the memo threatens progress made through Home and Community-Based Services in expanding real choices and control over where and how older adults and people with disabilities live their lives.
2026
A search warrant served at a Hemet assisted living and memory care facility in Riverside County in connection with an elder abuse investigation uncovered multiple victims of neglect and deficiencies in patient care, resulting in several residents being transported to the hospital for treatment. The investigation, which began in 2025 after an ombudsman complaint of general neglect, has expanded with assistance from the California Department of Justice Division of Medical Fraud and Elder Abuse.
2026
An HHS Office of Inspector General audit of nursing home staffing reports reveals that approximately 938,000 registered nurse hours reported to the government in March 2024 lacked proper payroll documentation, affecting roughly 53,000 RNs, undermining the integrity of the data used by CMS for public quality ratings and safety oversight. The systematic reporting inaccuracies mean consumers and regulators routinely rely on flawed information when evaluating nursing home safety and performance.
2026
Two HHS Office of Inspector General reports reveal that Medicare Managed Care Organizations systematically deny requests for skilled nursing facility care, with some MAOs denying up to 23 percent of requests and denying 40 percent when nursing home residents apply, yet reversing nearly 95 percent of denials upon appeal. The pattern demonstrates that MAOs are denying medically necessary care that they ultimately acknowledge should be covered, depriving Medicare enrollees of essential services.
2026
A Hunterbrook investigation reveals that The Ensign Group, America’s largest skilled nursing facility operator, has built a $10 billion empire by systematically understaffing facilities, extracting hundreds of millions in profits through related-party payments, and gaming self-reported quality metrics while residents suffer serious neglect and sometimes death. The five-month analysis found a 5 million-hour gap between required and actual nursing care hours at Ensign facilities, generating an estimated $386 million in annual profits by failing to meet residents’ documented medical needs.
2026
Senator Ron Wyden and 16 colleagues released a bipartisan policy agenda to address long-term care affordability, access, and quality through reforms including strengthened nursing home staffing standards, financial transparency requirements, and enhanced workforce quality. The initiative targets understaffing as the primary driver of poor health outcomes while addressing related-party profit extraction and workforce challenges including low wages, high turnover, and inadequate oversight.
2026
Consumer Voice and resident advocates sent a letter to CMS Administrator Oz supporting the agency’s antipsychotic medication monitoring measure and opposing industry and pharmaceutical company pressure to weaken it, as some nursing homes continue to use these drugs to chemically restrain residents with dementia and cognitive impairments rather than providing adequate staffing. The advocates call for strengthening the existing measure through improved verification practices to prevent this harmful practice.
2026
A $50 million hospice fraud scheme uncovered in Los Angeles highlights ongoing abuse where scammers fraudulently enroll vulnerable seniors in hospice without consent, cutting them off from life-extending treatments while billing Medicare and Medi-Cal. With California’s temporary moratorium on new hospice licenses set to expire, state officials must finalize emergency licensing regulations to prevent the door from reopening to widespread fraud and exploitation of elderly immigrants and communities of color.
2026
KFF Health News reports that Real Estate Investment Trusts and other investor-owned entities operating long-term care facilities are diverting taxpayer revenue intended for resident care into inflated rent payments and personal profits, creating dangerous conditions marked by neglected residents and poor hygiene practices. These REITs exploit legal loopholes to circumvent federal tax exemption restrictions designed to prevent investor entities from operating healthcare facilities while prioritizing financial returns over resident safety and wellbeing.
2026
A new study in Health Affairs Scholar reveals that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services significantly undercounts nursing home staff turnover by excluding employees working fewer than 120 hours per quarter, meaning nearly 45 percent of new hires are missing from official turnover measures. The research shows that 70 percent of nursing homes would be ranked differently if actual turnover data were reported accurately, and federal metrics are becoming increasingly unreliable as facilities shift toward temporary and gig-style workforce arrangements.
2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance clarifying certified nursing assistant training requirements and promoting what it termed “flexibilities” designed to increase nurse aide staffing, such as allowing less experienced registered nurses to conduct training and permitting remote testing. However, the guidance overlooks the real driver of nursing home staffing shortages: retaining trained staff. The national direct care worker turnover rate of 47 percent is primarily fueled by low wages, heavy caseloads, poor supervision, and limited career advancement opportunities.
2026
Representatives Lloyd Doggett and Jan Schakowsky introduced the Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act to establish mandatory minimum nurse staffing standards requiring 4.1 hours of direct care per resident daily and 24/7 registered nurse coverage in nursing homes. The legislation seeks to address chronic understaffing, profit-driven industry practices, and weakened regulations by implementing enforceable penalties and ensuring accountability for resident safety and quality of care.
2026
The HHS Office of Inspector General released reports documenting how nursing homes inappropriately prescribe antipsychotic medications without proper clinical justification and misdiagnose residents with schizophrenia to justify continued drug use while avoiding regulatory oversight. These practices put residents at heightened risk of harm and reveal systemic failures in nursing home accountability and resident safety protections.
2026
A Southern California couple was arrested for operating unlicensed care facilities housing 10 seniors who were found malnourished and neglected, fed moldy food, and cared for by unhoused individuals. Alicia Hogg, 72, and Gary Hogg, 80, face elder abuse and fraud charges after law enforcement rescued the elderly residents and placed them in proper care housing.
2026
An investigation into resident violence at nursing homes and assisted living facilities reveals that altercations between residents, particularly those with dementia, occur frequently and are often preventable when facilities properly supervise residents, identify warning signs, and implement care interventions. Despite federal inspections citing nursing homes over 700 times since 2024 for failing to protect residents from resident-to-resident abuse, many facilities continue to lack adequate staffing and staff training to prevent these violent incidents.
2026
Eighteen state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, oppose the CMS repeal of nursing home minimum staffing standards, arguing that adequate staffing is essential to protect residents from abuse and neglect. The attorneys general reveal that nursing home owners use sophisticated financial tactics such as inflated rent, excessive loan arrangements, and sham consulting fees to divert public funding away from staffing and care into their own profits rather than facing genuine workforce shortages.
2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shifted its Special Focus Facility Program selection criteria in January 2026 to prioritize fall prevention over staffing levels, citing underreporting of falls in nursing homes despite acknowledging that adequate staffing is fundamental to addressing multiple care quality issues. This change coincides with CMS’s rescission of the minimum staffing rule, further de-emphasizing the role of workforce adequacy in identifying and improving problem facilities.
2025
A Consumer Voice survey of over 450 long-term care residents reveals widespread concerns about poor staffing levels, loneliness, and lack of personal autonomy, with many residents reporting a significant decline in their quality of life and sense of dignity. While some facilities are providing adequate care, the survey shows that many long-term care facilities are failing to meet residents’ fundamental needs for person-centered care and a life lived on their own terms.
2025
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rescinded critical minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. This decision eliminates protections estimated to save 13,000 lives annually despite evidence that facilities can meet these standards. The interim rule, which removes mandates for specific ratios of nurses and nurse aides per resident, takes effect February 2, 2026, contradicting CMS’s own prior defense of the same requirements.
2025
A Bay Area assisted living worker, Alisia Rivera Mendoza, pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse after two residents died and another was hospitalized from drinking caustic chemicals at Atria Park in San Mateo. The incident exposed unsafe practices at the facility, including storing cleaning liquids in unlabeled drink pitchers, and highlights ongoing risks to vulnerable residents across Atria facilities.
2025
The U.S. Department of Justice’s 2025 Annual Report details major progress in combating elder fraud and abuse, including more than 280 cases against over 600 defendants who targeted older adults in schemes totaling over two billion dollars. The report also highlights strengthened accountability for nursing home operators, expanded victim support efforts, and new national initiatives aimed at improving coordinated responses and prevention.
2025
A series of lawsuits and investigations have highlighted repeated abuse, neglect, and substandard care in nursing homes owned by Shlomo Rechnitz in California, resulting in multi-million dollar jury awards and ongoing litigation. Despite a long history of regulatory concerns, state oversight has allowed Rechnitz’ companies to continue operating numerous facilities, prompting calls from advocates for stronger accountability and licensing reforms.
2025
A new HHS OIG report finds that while many nursing homes in the Special Focus Facility program show enough progress to graduate, most fail to sustain these improvements and quickly return to serious quality problems. The findings raise concerns about the program’s effectiveness and highlight the need for stronger oversight to ensure long-term resident safety and care quality.
2025
A new AARP report underscores the essential role Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs play in protecting residents in nursing homes and other care facilities, noting that they are the only independent resource families can rely on to address concerns and file formal complaints. The analysis highlights a growing number of resident issues paired with a steep decline in volunteer Ombudsmen, raising concerns about the program’s ability to effectively resolve complaints.
2025
A new ATI Advisory report shows that proposed funding cuts to California’s Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Services could lead to more than one billion dollars in additional costs over five years, driven by even small shifts of recipients into far more expensive nursing facility care. The analysis warns that reduced HCBS funding would strain state budgets, overwhelm existing facility capacity, and undermine the ability of older adults and people with disabilities to remain safely at home.
2025
A new Consumer Voice report reveals how New Jersey nursing homes routed nearly two billion taxpayer dollars to related companies they own while residents experienced substandard care marked by low staffing levels and poor quality ratings. The findings highlight hidden profits, inadequate oversight, and serious harm reported by residents and families, leading to calls for stronger transparency laws and stricter scrutiny of related party spending.
2025
A new report by Dr. Eilon Caspi exposes widespread social-media–based privacy violations and elder abuse in nursing homes, documenting 147 victims across 30 states whose images and videos were shared online without consent, often in demeaning or abusive contexts. The findings reveal systemic failures in policies, training, and oversight, prompting urgent calls for stronger regulations, better staff education, and greater accountability for facilities and social media platforms.
2025
The California Department of Health Care Services launched new webpages explaining Medi-Cal eligibility changes, including 2026 asset limit updates tied to federal law. These resources aim to help older adults and people with disabilities understand how upcoming rules may affect their coverage.
2025
CMS issued updates to the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program, expanding funding opportunities, clarifying project rules, and increasing transparency around how CMP funds are used to improve nursing home care.
2025
Maria Erolina Delgado, owner of J & M Happy Guest Home in San Diego, pleaded not guilty to felony elder abuse charges after prosecutors alleged she left the facility severely understaffed, causing residents to suffer bedsores, dehydration, malnourishment, and neglect. The charges stem from incidents in 2020 and could carry prison time if she is convicted.
2025
An OIG review found that nursing homes failed to report 43% of serious falls among Medicare residents, leading to misleading “low fall rates” on CMS’s Care Compare website. The report urges CMS to improve data accuracy to give families and consumers a clearer picture of nursing home safety.
2025
Maria Erolina Delgado, owner of J & M Happy Guest Home in San Diego, has been charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors of elder abuse after allegedly leaving her facility severely understaffed, causing residents to suffer from bed sores, dehydration, and malnourishment. The California Attorney General’s Office says some residents were left in soiled diapers for days, with all alleged conduct occurring in 2020.
2025
Consumer Voice reports that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering an interim final rule to rescind the federal minimum staffing requirement for nursing homes, a regulation projected to save 13,000 lives annually. The move, currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget with no opportunity for public comment, would override Congress’s recent decision to delay—but not eliminate—the rule, and could result in widespread harm to vulnerable nursing home residents.
2025
Lanzone Morgan, LLP secured a landmark $7.6 million jury verdict against Alameda Healthcare & Wellness Center for egregious elder neglect and violation of residents’ rights, where failures in care led to a veteran’s severe pressure sores and disrupted cancer treatment. The verdict highlights widespread falsification of care records, understaffing, and corporate profiteering that compromised resident safety and well-being.
2025
Genesis Healthcare, a bankrupt nursing home chain, is accused by personal-injury claimants of attempting to use Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a strategy to erase tort liabilities before its private-equity investor, Joel Landau, reacquires the company’s assets at a reduced price. Recent court filings claim Landau and other insiders are leveraging a $30 million loan to take control of the bankruptcy process and buy back Genesis’s 175 facilities free from previous legal claims.
2025
Nursing homes across the U.S. are increasingly suing friends and relatives of residents over unpaid bills, exploiting admission paperwork to hold third parties liable. With weakened oversight from federal agencies like the CFPB and CMS, advocates warn that aggressive debt collection tactics are leaving families vulnerable to devastating financial judgments.
2025
Consumer Voice Leadership Council member and New Jersey nursing home resident Raymond DiFrancesco submitted testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging’s hearing, “Awareness to Action: Combating Elder Abuse & Neglect.” Drawing on his own experiences and those of fellow residents, Ray highlighted how neglect, loss of dignity, and lack of accountability from nursing home owners are widespread issues that harm residents’ safety, humanity, and quality of life.
2025
After nursing homes adopted the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), a recent JAMA study found facilities increased coding residents as sicker and reduced therapy minutes, boosting revenue without improving patient outcomes. The findings highlight that financial incentives, rather than actual clinical needs, are now driving care decisions in nursing homes.
2025
A nationwide study found that COVID-19-related staffing shortages and inspection delays led to more health deficiency citations in nursing homes, especially at for-profit facilities, while remotely tracked staffing metrics remained stable. The findings suggest nursing homes prioritize metrics consistently monitored and that inspection delays longer than 24 months can sharply worsen care quality, underscoring the need for robust and timely inspections.
2025
Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Sweetwater Care, which operates nineteen nursing homes across California, accusing the company of over 25,000 violations of state minimum staffing laws between 2020 and 2024 that resulted in resident harm and neglect. The complaint alleges Sweetwater redirected tens of millions in public funds through self-owned third-party entities, prioritizing profits and expansion over resident care and legal compliance.
2025
The Bellefontaine Healthcare Center in Pasadena, CA, was cited with a deficiency for immediate jeopardy to resident healthy or safety following failures in administering and monitoring anticoagulant medication (Plavix) to a resident post lumbar surgery, which resulted in fatal brain hemorrhages. The facility neglected to verify hospital discharge orders properly, failed to monitor the resident for bleeding complications, and did not provide necessary continuity of care, contributing directly to the resident’s decline and death.