Life Care Center of America is the nation’s largest privately held nursing home chain. According to Forbes Magazine, it is #142 on the list of the largest privately held companies in the country. The chain boasts an annual revenue of $3.1 billion. Life Care Centers of America manages over 200 nursing homes in 28 different states and employs over 40,000 people. The company was founded in 1970 by Forrest Preston. Life Care Centers of America is headquartered in Tennessee and its website is www.lcca.com
| Website | LCCA.com |
| Number of Facilities | over 200 |
| Headquarters | 3570 Keith St., N.W. Cleveland, TN 37312 |
| Year founded | 1970 |
| Type of Care Provided | Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Alzheimer's & Dementia Care Independent & Assisted Living |
Since Life Care Centers of America is privately owned, it has not had the same issues that other nursing homes have had, namely that private equity companies purchase them and then enter into a series of related party transactions that drain the nursing homes of their assets. However, Life Care Center of America has experienced other issues in care over the years as evidenced by a large number of lawsuits against it and violations of regulations.
Life Care Centers of America has face lawsuits from private plaintiffs in most of the states in which it operates. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in either a settlement or a jury verdict against the company. The lawsuits that have resulted in financial compensation for the plaintiffs largely involved infections and falls.
Specifically, there were several instances in which the plaintiffs developed pressure ulcers and the skilled nursing facility failed to treat them. This resulted in serious infections that caused the resident’s death. There have been other lawsuits against Life Care Centers of America for improperly prescribing medications or negligently inserting feeding tubes.
Jury Verdict ($1.5 million) in Arizona – The resident was admitted to the nursing home after being treated for a broken hip. The lawsuit accused the nursing home of abuse through a complete failure to provide care for the decedent. The nursing home allegedly failed to care for the resident’s hygiene and prevent and treat pressure ulcers. As a result of the worsening pressure ulcers, the resident was forced to undergo flap surgery. The lawsuit alleged that the nursing home was understaffed and the staff that it did have was not trained properly.
Jury Verdict ($365,000) in Arizona – The resident was suffering from end-stage multiple sclerosis and also had a susceptibility to pressure ulcers. The resident developed a Stage IV pressure ulcer. The lawsuit alleged that the facility did not properly treat the pressure ulcer, which allowed for an infection to develop in the open wound. The nursing home was also alleged to have not properly fed the resident, resulting in her malnutrition. The resident eventually died from the infection.
Settlement ($315,000) in Missouri – The resident had swallowing and gastronomical problems so the nursing home inserted a tube to help with feeding and medication. The tube came out of the patient’s body and the attending nurses re-inserted the tube into the resident’s body. The nurses allegedly did not check to make sure that the tube was re-inserted properly even though the resident complained of immediate pain when the tube was being replaced. However, the tube was not properly replaced and the resident became agitated. Instead of checking the tube, the resident was given an anti-psychotic medication and a feeding solution. This solution went into the abdominal cavity and the resident developed severe sepsis and soon died.
Jury Verdict ($441,854) in Florida – The resident was admitted to the nursing home after surgery. The lawsuit contended that the nursing home did not properly monitor, assess and treat the resident’s surgical incision. As a result, the resident developed a C. Diff infection and required additional multiple surgeries. The plaintiffs alleged that the facility failed to assess the surgical incision for readiness of removal of surgical staples and did not obtain orders for removal of abdominal incision staples from the surgeon. The nursing home was also alleged not to have provided the appropriate wound care for the resident.
Settlement (Confidential) in Texas – The resident was being transferred from their chair. Physician’s orders were that any transfer for the resident should be done by two staff members while using a Hoyer lift. One CNA was performing the transfer on their own without the use of the Hoyer lift. When the resident was being transferred, her leg bent underneath her, causing her leg to fracture. The CAN received a written warning from the nursing home for their actions.
Jury Verdict ($1,000,000) in Florida – The nursing home was found by a jury to have been responsible for a fall that the resident suffered, causing her prior hip surgery to fail and necessitating additional surgery. The resident fell from her low wheelchair to the floor. The resident’s son, who brought the lawsuit, claimed that his mother was not provided adequate and appropriate therapeutic and rehabilitative care since the facility did not immediately order an x-ray after the fall and treat her hip injury.
Settlement ($175,000) in South Carolina – The resident alleged that they were left unsupervised while inside of a bathroom. The resident fell and suffered a subdural hematoma. The lawsuit alleged that the nursing home was negligent in its care for the resident and failed to uphold the standard of care.
Jury Verdict ($92,000) in Texas – The physicians at the nursing home prescribed certain medication to the resident, notwithstanding the fact that the physician knew about two prior episodes of toxicity. The resident developed a severe reaction to the drug which included severe weight loss and the inability to be aroused. Even though the physician was informed of the resident’s toxic level, the doctor still did not stop the medication. The resident was hospitalized for the toxicity. Even after the resident was discharged from the hospital and returned to the nursing home, he was still administered this same medication for three days. He was taken back to the hospital where he died.
Settlement ($2,000,000) in South Carolina – A resident suffered unspecified injuries while at a Life Care Centers of America facility. The resident died from her injuries. Her family alleged that the nursing home did not provide adequate supervision of its staff and failed to hire and train its staff appropriately. In addition, the lawsuit alleged that the nursing home did not follow the appropriate standard of care.
Settlement ($300,000) in South Carolina – The resident was released from a hospital into the care of a nursing home. While being treated at the home, the resident suffered a below-knee amputation and decubitus ulcers. The lawsuit claimed that the resident’s condition was due to a failure to properly care for the resident and follow physician's orders.
Jury Verdict ($130,000) in Tennessee – One resident struck another resident when they bent down to pick up a piece of paper. The resident who was hit fell and broke her hip. This caused a decline in her condition and, four months later, she died of pneumonia. Life Care Centers of America was sued for being negligent in admitting the resident who was the attacker given that he had a history of mental illness. Although Life Care Centers of America claimed that another party was the negligent one here, the jury still reached a verdict against Life Care Centers of America.
Even though a nursing home may be owned by a large chain with a seemingly unlimited budget for lawyers, as you can see from the above cases, it is possible to take a nursing home to court and either receive a settlement or money from a jury award. The Nursing Home Law Center has a long track record of obtaining justice for families with over $100 million recovered. Call us today at (800) 726-9565 to see how we can help your family. If you have had a loved one who has suffered while residing at a Life Care Center of America facility, we can assist you in filing a legal claim and taking it all the way through trial if necessary.
For more information on specific Life Care facilities, refer to the pages below.
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