Nursing homes accused of failing to provide proper care; AG files lawsuit

HARRISBURG — A Pittsburgh-based skilled nursing provider is accused of failing to properly care for patients, sometimes leaving elderly and vulnerable patients lying in wet and soiled clothes and bedding for hours.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Bruce R. Beemer filed a consumer protection lawsuit Friday against Grane Healthcare Co., which manages and operates 12 skilled nursing facilities statewide. The lawsuit is the result of an investigation by the attorney general's health care section.

The attorney general's investigation included interviews with former employees of Grane facilities and a review of survey results reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. According to a news release form the attorney general, the allegations include:

• Incontinent residents were not checked and changed for hours at a time, and were left in wet and soiled clothing and bedding.
• Continent residents did not get timely assistance with using the bathroom, causing them to urinate and defecate in their clothes.
• Showers were skipped or rushed.
• Residents were left in their pajamas during the day, because staff did not have time to dress them.
• Residents were not repositioned every two hours as needed, but instead waited three to four hours between repositionings.
• Certified nursing assistants used mechanical lifts to transfer and reposition residents alone, even though the practice risked injury for both staff and residents.
• Excessive and inappropriate use of physical and pharmacological restraints.
• Residents were awakened at 5 a.m. or earlier to be showered and dressed for the day because of inadequate staffing on the day shift.
• Residents faced long waits after ringing call bells for assistance.
• Residents who required assistance with meals missed meals or did not get enough to eat, because staff did not have enough time to feed them.
• Range of motion exercises were rarely done with residents, though CNAs were instructed to document that they had been done.
• Records were falsified, showing that residents received more care than staff had provided to them.

The following 11 Grane facilities are named in the attorney general’s lawsuit:

• Altoona Center for Nursing Care, Altoona
• Cambria Care Center, Ebensburg
• Colonial Park Care Center, Harrisburg
• Harmarvillage Care Center, Cheswick
• Harmon House Care Center, Mount Pleasant
• Highland Park Care Center, Pittsburgh
• Kittanning Care Center, Kittanning
• Laurelwood Care Center, Johnstown
• Providence Care Center,  Beaver Falls
• Riverside Care Center, McKeesport
• Woodhaven Care Center, Monroeville

According to the release, the lawsuit claims that Grane violated the commonwealth's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law by making several misrepresentations on its websites and in marketing materials regarding facility staffing and the basic care provided to the residents of its facilities. Grane is also accused of a pervasive, chain-wide practice of billing consumers and the commonwealth for services that were not provided.

"These alleged misrepresentations not only deceived the residents of these facilities, but Grane’s business practices also degraded residents and increased the risk of negative health consequences," Beemer said. "We believe there is ample evidence that these facilities fell far short when it came to providing essential services."

According to the lawsuit, Grane limited the number of certified nursing assistants on duty at its facilities, leaving the facilities incapable of delivering the basic care that Grane promised to provide. Despite this fact, Grane facilities advertised and marketed to consumers that they strive for a very high staff-to-patient ratio and base staffing on patient acuity levels, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit claims that this conduct was deceptive, misleading and unfair.

Wanda Wehmer, whose sister-in-law resides at one of the centers, told Channel 11 News that her relative receives very good care.

“Seems like every time she needs something, there's someone there to take care of her. In fact, she has said how well she's taken care of, and she really likes the place,” Wehmer said.

The lawsuit was filed in commonwealth court and seeks to prohibit Grane from engaging in the deceptive and unlawful business practices of which it is accused. The lawsuit also seeks restitution for consumers and the commonwealth, as well as $1,000 per violation of the Consumer Protection Law, or up to $3,000 for every violation involving a person 60 or older.

The lawsuit follows the filing of a legal action against Golden Gate National Senior Care LLC, which has subsidiaries that operate as Golden LivingCenters. That case, which is still pending, involves 25 facilities located throughout the commonwealth. Beemer also recently announced a $2 million settlement with Reliant Senior Care Holdings, Inc. and related companies. The terms of the settlement require Reliant to staff in a manner that fully accounts for resident acuity and individual needs.

People with complaints about Grane facilities or other health care facilities are asked to contact the attorney general's. Complaints may be filed at

by selecting "File a Complaint" from the toolbar and then "Health Care." Complaints may also be filed by calling the Health Care helpline at 877-888-4877.

READ the lawsuit here.

To contact the Attorney General's office to report suspected senior abuse,

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