Brius Healthcare Violations & Lawsuits 

Brius Healthcare is the largest nursing home operator in California. It’s owned and operated by its founder, Shlomo Rechnitz, who started in the healthcare industry in 1998 before purchasing his first nursing home in 2006. 

Since then, he’s bought dozens of nursing homes in California, often at meager prices. Today, he controls roughly 81 long-term care facilities throughout the state, equating to almost one out of 14 nursing home beds in California. 

About Brius Healthcare

Not all the skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities operating under Brius Healthcare go by that name, so it’s hard to pinpoint which facilities they operate over which ones they don’t in many cases. 

Some employees aren’t even unaware they’re working at a Brius facility. Brius facilities offer various health services, such as physical therapy, wound care, medication management, memory care, hospice, and much more. 

Despite being the largest nursing home company in the state, the number of elderly residents who have been subjected to inadequate healthcare for various reasons is alarming. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provide star rating systems for all nursing homes in the country, and Brius nursing homes don’t always receive high marks. 

Many Brius facilities have been flagged for elderly abuse, inadequate staffing, and much more, which has prompted an uproar among residents and their families across the state. Even employees of Brius Healthcare have had issues with facilities in Los Angeles and beyond. 

If you or a loved one have been subjected to harm from this healthcare company in recent years, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Nursing Home Law Center today for a free consultation and learn more about your rights and legal options. 

Complaints and Legal Actions Against Brius Healthcare

Brius Healthcare received numerous complaints from residents, their family members, and California state residents who are outraged over the inadequate care provided at Brius facilities. Many attribute the lack of high-quality care and understaffing to Rechnitz’s greed and caring more about making money than providing adequate healthcare. 

Some of the complaints this healthcare company has faced include: 

• Inadequate staffing 
• Failing to provide a safe, clean, and homelike environment 
• Not treating residents with dignity and respect 
• Allegations of physical and emotional abuse 

Lawsuits Against Brius 

Brius Healthcare has seen more than its fair share of lawsuits. They’ve been involved in class action lawsuits, whistleblower lawsuits, lawsuits filed by the California Attorney General, and several wrongful death lawsuits from residents’ family members. 

Whistleblower Lawsuit

A whistleblower at Brius alleged that Brius paid kickbacks to the government to receive more Medicare patients. This came out in 2017, and the lawsuit revealed that Brius wanted more Medicare patients to get a higher reimbursement rate. The lawsuit officially settled for $6.9 million. 

Class Action Lawsuit

In 2017, a large class action lawsuit was filed against Brius Healthcare. The lawsuit included 55 facilities and claimed the healthcare company didn’t adequately staff its nursing homes, resulting in inadequate healthcare for all residents. The plaintiffs in this case stated they were misled by Brius while filling out the home application. As of now, there’s no resolution to this class action lawsuit. 

The State of California v. Brius Healthcare

The California Attorney General filed an emergency motion in 2014 to stop Brius from acquiring 19 distressed nursing homes due to their history of substandard care and chronic pattern of neglect. They also filed a separate motion for felony involuntary manslaughter for a resident’s death. 

This lawsuit sparked individuals to think about Brius Healthcare as a whole and whether their intentions are as positive as they claim to be. 

Wrongful Death Lawsuits

In recent years, Brius has been served lawsuits for several resident deaths. Families of these residents filed a wrongful death lawsuit, prompting further investigation into the Brius facilities because the number of deaths was higher than it should have been. [1]

One resident, Dewey, was discharged from Eureka Rehabilitation and Wellness Centre without informing his sister. He had several physical and mental ailments, including being blind, and was dropped off at a hotel without his medication and food other than Velveeta mac and cheese. He was found deceased four days later. 

Two other resident deaths were attributed to untreated pressure sores. These residents developed the sores while under the care of staff at the Brius facility Eureka Rehabilitation and Wellness Centre. Their deaths came shortly after the California Department of Public Health sued Brius for patient care violations and understaffing. 

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Brius Healthcare

With all the uproar in California residents questioning the care provided at Brius facilities, several recent inspection and deficiency reports are coming out from their facilities. To understand its conditions, it’s essential to look into the specific Brius nursing home you want information on. While we can’t review every report, we can provide information on a few of their nursing homes. 

• Chico Heights Rehabilitation & Wellness Centre – Issue Summary 01/19/2024: 
  • Violation: Failing to ensure every resident receives an accurate and timely assessment of their health status and failing to ensure the nursing facility meets professional standards of quality care. 
  • Example: Several residents weren’t given accurate assessments upon arriving at the facility, making it difficult for them to receive the appropriate care. The facility also failed to follow physicians’ orders, not meeting the required standards of care. 
• Eureka Rehabilitation & Wellness Center – Issue Summary 06/10/2022: 
  • Violation: Failing to notify the resident or their next of kin of any change in health status or situation and failing to protect residents from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. 
  • Example: There were numerous situations where the facility failed to notify the residents of changes in their healthcare plan and notify family members of incidents, like assaults from other residents. This Brius nursing home also failed to protect one resident from being physically abused by a staff member. 
• Lakewood Healthcare Center – Issue Summary 10/02/2023: 
  • Violation: Failing to honor residents’ rights to receive visitors of their choosing at the time of their choosing, failing to ensure residents are free from unnecessary physical restraints, and failing to report suspected abuse promptly. 
  • Example: One resident was denied visitation to their family members for no reason, even after the resident expressed feelings of frustration and depression. Two residents were restrained to their beds for no reason other than for the convenience of the staff members, preventing them from moving out of bed when they needed to. There were several incidents of residents harming one another, like pushing each other out of wheelchairs or hitting each other with water pitchers and then not reporting the abuse. 
• Seaview Rehabilitation & Wellness Center – Issue Summary 01/12/2024: 
  • Violation: Failing to protect residents from all kinds of abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual; failing to create a plan and implement it to address a resident’s immediate needs within 48 hours of admission; and failing to ensure services were up to the standards of professional quality. 
  • Example: One resident reported being verbally abused by a staff member repeatedly, and inspection reports found this claim to be substantiated. They also failed to provide the resident and their loved ones with a summary of their assessment and care plan within 48 hours, limiting how they could manage the care for the resident. Lastly, the inspection found they failed to verify the identity of a patient before administering medications, which can be deadly when the wrong medication or dose is given to a resident. 

Free Case Evaluation

Hiring an experienced and compassionate attorney is one of the best things you can do for yourself or a loved one when dealing with nursing home neglect and abuse. A legal team will help you hold the liable parties accountable and pursue compensation. Hiring an attorney like those at the Nursing Home Law Center can help by: 

• Thoroughly investigating your nursing home abuse claim 
• Holding skilled nursing facilities and other senior living communities accountable for their actions or inactions 
• Pursuing compensation and justice for victims and their families 
• Protecting your rights and advocating for policy improvements at facilities

The key to handling nursing home abuse cases is acting fast. The sooner you act, the better since there are statutes of limitations on these actions. Ensure you: 

• Make sure you or your loved one are safe 
• Write down everything you can about the neglect or abuse, including dates, times, and locations
• Report any suspected neglect or abuse to the local authorities, nursing home administrator, and state licensing board 
• Hire an experienced nursing home abuse attorney

Working with an attorney like ours at the Nursing Home Law Center means you’ll have a compassionate and determined attorney on your side every step of the way. We won’t stop until we reach a fair settlement based on your case’s circumstances. Plus, we operate on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t owe us anything unless we settle. 

Are you ready to seek compensation and justice for what you or a loved one has endured in Brius nursing homes? Contact the Nursing Home Law Center today for your free consultation by calling (800)-926-7565 or filling out our submission form.