Athena Health Care

Athena Health Care Systems is New England’s largest for-profit long term care management company, run by its owner, Lawrence Santilli. Founded in 1984, the company operates 40 skilled nursing facilities and assisted living residences throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. 

This company is headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, and has roughly 8,000 employees in its continuum of care. Athena’s mission is to provide the best possible care to those needing long term or short term rehabilitation services. In addition to rehabilitation services, Athena offers patients and residents skilled nursing care, hospice care, post-hospital care, and private duty program services.

As New England’s largest provider of skilled nursing services, each facility’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ratings are essential to knowing if you or a loved one are going to a safe nursing home. CMS rates all facilities on a five-star system and on staffing rates, health inspections, and quality measures. 

The 40 facilities in the three states they operate in have ratings ranging from one to five stars. Some even have consumer alerts for abuse. Staff are responsible for providing care to all patients at these facilities, but in many cases, the care is subpar. 

If you or a loved one have been abused or neglected while under the care of providers at an Athena Health facility in Rhode Island, Connecticut, or Massachusetts, contact the Nursing Home Law Center today for your free consultation. 

Complaints and Legal Actions Against Athena Health Care 

There have been more than a few complaints against Athena Health Care since its beginning in 1984. They’ve faced over 500 negligence and abuse complaints across their 40 facilities from patients and their families, some of those including: 

• Residents missing meals 
• Inadequate medication management and distribution 
• Residents being forced to remain in wet undergarments because no one can help remove them
• Failing to assist residents with activities of daily living 
• Lack of access to appropriate medical care due to understaffing 

To give you a broader understanding of how Athena Health Care Systems operates, patients and their families aren’t the only ones with many complaints. The healthcare company has faced employee backlash for unpaid wages, wrongful termination, and unsafe working conditions. 

Massachusetts has even brought action against the company for admitting residents with substance abuse issues without having the ability to provide the appropriate treatment for them. The Massachusetts Attorney General stated this was the state’s largest fine ever issued. 

Lawsuits Against Athena Health Care Systems

Many of the lawsuits against this company have been from employees, but there have been a few notable ones from residents and their families. 

Currently, Athena Health is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after a resident at Oxford Rehabilitation and Health Care Center was murdered by his roommate. The resident died after being repeatedly hit in the head by his roommate’s walker before staff could intervene. [1]

While not all the official complaints against this nursing home management company resulted in legal action, here are a few of the lawsuits that Athena Health Care has faced. 

Rowe v. Santilli & Athena Health Care Associates

Carolanne Rowe filed a lawsuit against Athena on behalf of Bernadette Noga, a Webster Manor Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center resident. Noga was admitted for short-term, skilled nursing services after a hospital stay. 

Noga alleges that the staff at this facility restrained, neglected, sedated, and abused her throughout her stay. Staff supposedly took away her cell phone, limiting her communications with her loved ones. 

Rowe mentions nursing home staff dropping Noga off on the street corner near a hospital with her belongings in a trash bag, posting her private information throughout the facility, and denying Noga the ability to have her daughter visit during her stay. 

Walsh v. Abbot Terrace Health Center

An older lawsuit against this company was at Abbot Terrace Health Center in 1999. Michael Brandon Walsh was a patient at this facility in 1999 and filed the motion on his behalf. 

During his time at this Athena nursing home, he was placed in a room with another patient who continuously made threats against Walsh, who was 96 years old and incapable of walking on his own or performing many activities himself. 

The staff were made aware of the threats but didn’t move Walsh to a new room, even with several room change requests. After several threats, the roommate was evaluated by a psychiatrist, where he was found to have cognitive disorder and adjustment disorder. Sometime after the evaluation, Walsh was assaulted by his roommate, who suffered a broken nose and several cuts on his head and face. 

Zappone v. Connecticut Handivan, Inc. 

This lawsuit was officially filed against Connecticut Handivan Inc., but Athena is named as part of the lawsuit. Nicholas Zappone was leaving the hospital and being transported to Summit, one of Athena’s nursing homes, via Handivan. Zappone was wheelchair-bound at the time of transportation. 

Zappone alleges that Kimberly Torres, an employee of Summit, didn’t properly secure him in the wheelchair or take other safety precautions, like having adequate supervision, during transportation. 

This caused Zappone to be thrown from his wheelchair during the ride from the hospital to Summit. Torres was allegedly not paying attention to Zappone throughout the ride, stating that she was negligent. 

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Athena Health Care

Several Athena facilities have had more recent health inspections, and deficiency reports have come out. Here’s a look at a few of those: 

• Abbott Terrace Health Center (Connecticut) – 12/16/2021 Issue Summary: 
  • Violation: Failing to keep residents’ personal and medical information confidential and failing to treat residents with respect and dignity. 
  • Example: Residents reported having disrespectful and undignified interactions with several staff members. Nurses and other staff members failed to secure the medication cart, exposing patient-specific medications to anyone who wanted to look. [2]
• Oxford Rehabilitation & Health Care Center (Massachusetts) – 03/29/2024 Issue Summary:
  • Violation: Failing to promptly report suspected neglect, abuse, or theft so the authorities can investigate them. 
  • Example: According to the facility’s policy, it is required to report suspected abuse and neglect within two hours of the allegation, but it failed to do so. [3]
• Summit Commons Rehabilitation & Health Care Center (Rhode Island) – 04/04/2024 Issue Summary: 
  • Violation: Failing to create and implement an adequate infection prevention and control program to protect residents and provide a sanitary environment to recover and live. 
  • Example: The inspection found that Summit Commons failed to properly clean several pieces of equipment that residents needed for their medical treatment. One resident revealed that their BIPAP machine’s mask was not cleaned or disinfected between uses. [4]
• Plymouth Rehabilitation & Health Care Center (Massachusetts) – 09/29/2023 Issue Summary: 
  • Violation: Failing to immediately notify the resident, resident’s physician, and family members about any changes in care that affect the resident and failing to create a comprehensive care plan that addresses all the needs of residents. 
  • Example: The facility failed to inform a physician of a recommended medication change in a resident and didn’t create and implement adequate care plans for four out of 27 residents interviewed during the inspection. [5]
• Valerie Manor (Connecticut) – 04/23/2024 Issue Summary: 
  • Violation: Failing to properly secure, hold, and manage resident’s money while at the facility. 
  • Example: The facility used residents’ personal money to fund bingo prizes and other recreational activities. [6]

Free Case Evaluation

Abuse and neglect happen in nursing homes far more often than it should. When that happens, you need an experienced and compassionate legal team. The Nursing Home Law Center is well-versed in nursing home neglect and abuse cases and is committed to helping victims and their families seek compensation and justice. 

An experienced nursing home neglect and abuse attorney will help investigate the claim, gather evidence, and negotiate or go to court to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator and institution are held responsible. In cases of elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes, taking action as soon as possible is essential to seeking justice. 

If you have reason to believe that you or a loved one have been neglected or abused at an Athene Health Care Center or any other nursing home: 

• Make sure you make your safety your top priority
• Document dates, times, and locations of the alleged incident(s)
• Report the abuse to the local authorities, nursing home administration, and state licensing board
• Contact an experienced lawyer from the Nursing Home Law Center 

When you bring your nursing home abuse claim to us, we offer you a free and confidential consultation so you can learn about your legal options and share your story. We strive to make the legal process as stress-free as possible, so we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us a dime unless we win your case. 

Don’t let nursing homes get away with negligence or abuse. Contact the Nursing Home Law Center today by visiting our website or calling (800)-926-7565.

References: [1] Belmont Health Law Journal, [2] Medicare, [3] Medicare, [4] Medicare, [5] Medicare, [6] Medicare