SavaSeniorCare Violations & Lawsuits

Savaseniorcare was previously the 11th largest nursing home operator in the United States. Founded in 2004, it had its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Savaseniorcare was known for its skilled nursing facilities, memory care services, short-term and long-term care, and rehabilitation services for Medicare patients. 

After operating over 170 skilled nursing facilities nationwide, Savaseniorcare officially sold the last of its facilities to regional operators in 2023. The company no longer exists, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t left an impression on the skilled nursing sector. 

Numerous complaints and issues have been reported within Savaseniorcare facilities nationwide. From unsafe living conditions to fraud allegations, Savaseniorcare and its affiliated operating companies have made headlines. While this nursing home chain is no longer in business, it’s still important to bring to light everything that happened to its residents when it was operational. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offers ratings for all skilled nursing facilities. They operate on a five-star system, with five stars being the best and one star being the worst. Savaseniorcare had hundreds of facilities, so their ratings varied greatly, but even the highly rated facilities had issues. 

Even though Sava Senior Care facilities are no longer operational, if you or a loved one have been neglected or abused while staying at one of Savaseniorcare’s senior care facilities, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact the Nursing Home Law Center for more information and your free consultation. 

Complaints and Legal Actions Against Savaseniorcare

Savaseniorcare faced several complaints at its facilities nationwide. From California to New Hampshire, even their “best” skilled nursing facilities had complaints from time to time, like most nursing homes. Many of the complaints faced at Savaseniorcare nursing homes include: 

• Understaffing
• Allegations of abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) 
• Medicare fraud
• Unfair treatment of residents

These are only a handful of the complaints that residents, their family members, and staff at Savaseniorcare have made. It’s important to note that just because the complaints were made doesn’t mean that they were substantiated or that it resulted in a lawsuit. 

Lawsuits Against Golden Living Savaseniorcare

Due to their sheer size, Savaseniorcare nursing centers have faced several lawsuits, including wrongful death lawsuits and elderly abuse allegations. Many of these have been kept private, but they have reached a settlement in almost all their cases, spending millions to settle out of court. Here are some notable lawsuits against Savaseniorcare. 

Farfan et al. v. SSC Carmichael Operating Company

This lawsuit was part of a more significant class action lawsuit filed against companies in California. Farfan alleged that Savaseniorcare was failing to adequately compensate its staff for their hours worked and illegally deducting pay from their paychecks. 

They did this by deducting 30 minutes of paid time for food breaks when the employees didn’t take the break. In addition, Savaseniorcare was not compensating its employees who worked more than 40 hours per week. 

This is a significant Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violation. California law requires that all employees be paid time and a half for all the time they work over 40 hours. Savaseniorcare failed to provide itemized wage statements, and settlements for this lawsuit resulted in millions spent. 

Karen Mou v. SSC San Jose Operating Company LP et al.

This is a case against Savaseniorcare in California. They faced lawsuits for dumping, a long-term care facility practice based on profit-mongering. Dumping occurs when the facility sells or allocates a bed to a new, incoming resident when that bed is already claimed by a current resident. The current resident is then discharged without warning and left scrambling to find somewhere to go. 

The case alleges that six nursing homes regularly discharged their patients from the facilities without proper warning, which violates their right to contest their discharge. Despite legislation against these practices, Savaseniorcare failed to abide by the regulations. 

Two of the “dumped” patients had debilitating conditions, which put them at a heightened risk for medical complications or death upon being suddenly discharged from their facilities. 

False Claims Allegation Settlement

Savaseniorcare was found guilty of violating the False Claims Act (FCA). When the government started looking into Savaseniorcare, they realized they were billing Medicare for more than required or low-quality care. They also revealed a pattern of “dumping” patients to receive more funds through the Medicare program. 

After an investigation, it was determined that they would have to settle for $11.2 million. They might also have to pay an additional amount if certain financial contingencies occur. They were found to be falsely billing Medicare in Georgia and several other states where they had Medicare-funded facilities. [1]

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Savaseniorcare

Even though Savaseniorcare’s facilities have been sold to regional operators, the facilities they used to own are still operational. Here are some inspection and deficiency reports of previous Savaseniorcare nursing homes. 

• Kenansville Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center – Issue Summary 03/28/2024: 
  • Violation: Failing to ensure every resident receives an accurate and timely health assessment. 
  • Example: The inspection required interviewing 18 residents, two of which were found not to have accurate assessments of their medical conditions. Not only were the assessments inaccurate, but they weren’t filed correctly, which can result in inadequate medical care and improper medical records filing. During the inspection, the nursing staff admitted to coding errors regarding nursing home residents’ assessments. 
• Pleasant Valley SNF LLC – Issue Summary 12/01/2023: 
  • Violation: Failing to ensure that nursing home residents are aware of their health status, failing to ensure that all care meets the professional standards of quality, and failing to ensure all nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for all residents. Example: The inspection found that the facility failed to inform a resident’s power of attorney of a change in medication. The investigation also revealed that several nursing staff members could not follow physicians’ orders, resulting in inadequate medical care. Several nurses didn’t have the competency to care for patients with a G-tube, compromising the safety and quality of care of nursing home residents. 
• South Haven Health and Rehabilitation LLC – Issue Summary 07/14/2022: 
  • Violation: Failing to provide recreational activities that meet the needs of all residents. 
  • Example: The Activity Program Manager failed to provide adequate care in the means of activities. While many residents were happy with the activities available, not all felt this way. They didn’t offer activities based on certain residents’ preferences or that went along with their care plans. This could have affected residents’ eagerness to participate in group activities and, subsequently, affect their mental health, which can lead to a decline in health status. 
• Tarzana Health and Rehabilitation Center – Issue Summary 11/05/2021: 
  • Violation: Failing to honor the residents’ rights to a dignified existence and exercise their rights, failing to report suspected abuse or neglect promptly, and failing to inform the resident and their representatives of transfer or discharge, impacting their right to appeal the decision. 
  • Example: They didn’t honor residents’ rights to a dignified existence by not providing a resident with socks without holes, not honoring personal space during meal times, and speaking in a manner that belittled the residents. This affects their overall self-esteem and self-worth. Staff at this facility failed to report suspected abuse or neglect of a resident who wasn’t being bathed, changed, or properly cared for immediately or within the two-hour window that is required by law. Residents were often discharged or transferred out of this facility without notice, violating their rights and putting them at risk for homelessness and medical complications. 

Free Case Evaluation

Abuse and neglect can happen in any nursing home, including those operated by Savaseniorcare. Besides ensuring their safety, the best thing you can do for yourself or your loved one is hire an experienced nursing home abuse attorney to help hold all liable parties accountable and seek compensation. When you work with us at the Nursing Home Law Center, we can help you by: 

• Investigating your claim thoroughly 
• Holding the facility and subsequent parties accountable for their actions or inactions
• Seeking justice and compensation for you and your family 
• Advocating for changes throughout the industry

When it comes to neglect and abuse in skilled nursing facilities, acting quickly will make a significant difference. Make sure you: 

• Ensure the safety of anyone in harm’s way 
• Document incidents of neglect or abuse, including times, dates, and locations 
• Report the incidents of abuse to local law enforcement, the nursing home administrator, and the state licensing board 
• Contact a nursing home attorney in your area

When you work with our lawyers at the Nursing Home Law Center, you get experienced and compassionate attorneys who won’t stop until justice is served. We don’t require payment while we work on your case and only require it if we’re able to reach a fair settlement based on what you went through. 

Are you ready to pursue justice and compensation for the harm done to you or a loved one while at a Savaseniorcare facility? Contact the Nursing Home Law Center today by completing our online submission form or calling us at (800)-926-7565. 

References: [1]  Justice.gov