Sunrise Senior Living Violations & Ratings

Nursing homes care for elderly individuals with significant healthcare needs. Many of these independent living facilities are managed by large parent companies that run large networks of senior living communities. 

Sunrise Senior Living is one of the largest nursing home networks in the United States, and it extends into several provinces in Canada. Patients in a Sunrise community have the right to pursue legal action against this parent company if they experience medical malpractice or negligence. 

If you or one of your loved ones has experienced mistreatment at a Sunrise Senior Living nursing home, Nursing Home Law Center can help you hold the company accountable and pursue compensation for legal damages. 

Sunrise Senior Living Overview

Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is located at 7902 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, and operates over 270 senior living communities across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These facilities provide a range of services for elderly residents, including respite care, memory care, assisted living, Alzheimer’s care, and other forms of rehabilitative care.

Sunrise Senior Living facilities claim they provide fun activities, access to 24/7 quality care, independence, and comfort for residents. 

Ownership and Affiliations

Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is a public company with multiple institutions owning a stake. The largest stake is owned by Revera, a privately held Canadian company that focuses on healthcare services. 

Ratings and Performance

U.S. News & World Report ranks Sunrise Senior Living Inc. among the top fifteen parent companies for “Best Senior Living” facilities nationwide, based on evaluations of community activities, dining, caregiving, and staff management [1]. The Better Business Bureau rates Sunrise an A-, though the company is not BBB-accredited [2]. 

Complaints and Legal Actions Against Sunrise Senior Living

Nursing homes are designed to provide high-quality care in a safe and comfortable environment. Unfortunately, many facilities and staff members fall short of these expectations. Communities run by Sunrise Senior Living have not been immune to complaints or even lawsuits for poor treatment of residents. Here are a few lawsuits that have named Sunrise Senior Living facilities as defendants. 

Resident Dies From Sepsis in California

In this lawsuit, a 104-year-old woman was living in a Sunrise community. She suffered from multiple fall injuries during her stay, as well as stage four pressure ulcers on her heels. Eventually, the pressure ulcers became infected, and the resident experienced sepsis. 

She passed away due to sepsis from her decubitus ulcers. Her estate sued the facility for negligence for $2 million and was awarded $1.25 million by the jury due to the limits of statutory damages. 

Carolyn Wisecarver vs. Sunrise Senior Living Services, Inc. d/b/a Sunrise Assisted Living of Lenexa

Carolyn Wisecarver filed a lawsuit against Sunrise Senior Living Services, Lenexa, on June 27, 2022. The claim alleged wrongful death and medical negligence after her husband, Elmer Joe Wisecarver, who had dementia, died from drinking dishwashing detergent left out by facility staff in November 2021. 

As of April 2023, the case was being heard in federal court with ongoing proceedings regarding jury trial rights. [3]

Couple Receives Settlement for Poor Conditions of a Facility

In Virginia, a couple signed a care agreement with a Sunrise Senior Living facility several months before moving in. When they moved in, they found the conditions fell short of the promises made in the written agreement, including a leaky ceiling that was never fixed. 

The couple sued the nursing home for misrepresenting the facility’s state and not providing satisfactory services. A jury awarded them $279,000 [4]. 

Heredia vs. Sunrise Senior Living

A class action lawsuit was filed in California in 2018, alleging Sunrise misrepresents its services by promising to meet every resident’s care needs. Rather than staffing each facility to provide sufficient care service for all patients, the lawsuit alleges that the company fulfills staffing requirements based on a predetermined budget. 

The nursing facility understaffing has led to poor quality care, as the facilities are not hiring based on resident needs but on budgetary restrictions. 

The lawsuit represents all residents of Sunrise California assisted living facilities from June 27, 2013, onward. In August 2023, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed class certification. It allowed expert testimony about staffing shortfalls, marking this as the first such class action certified against a senior living operator. [5]

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Sunrise Senior Living

State and federal entities regularly inspect senior living facilities and related practices. Sometimes, these inspections are part of a consistent schedule, but they may also be conducted in response to complaints from residents or family members. 

Deficiencies in these nursing homes place residents in immediate danger of negligence or malpractice, which can cause injuries, illnesses, worsening conditions, or even death. Here are some recent deficiencies reported for Sunrise Senior Living nursing homes. 

The Jefferson – Arlington, VA

This skilled nursing facility is located in Arlington, VA, and has plenty of concerns that put residents’ lives at risk. During its most recent health inspection in 2023, it received 16 health citations, compared to the national average of 9.6. The number of hours per patient for licensed practical and vocational nurses is only 44 minutes, compared to 53 minutes nationally. 

Another deficiency at this nursing home is the percentage of short-stay patients who showed improvements in their ability to move around, which is 69.1% compared to 76.8% nationally [6]. Though these variances may seem minimal, they reflect a pattern of substandard service for patients at this skilled nursing location. 

Brighton Gardens of Edison – Edison, NJ

Based on its most recent inspection in 2023, this skilled nursing location, managed by Sunrise Senior Living, has a consumer alert for abuse-related issues. It has also performed poorly in several metrics compared to national averages. First, the percentage of short-stay patients rehospitalized after being admitted to the nursing home is 31.4% compared to 23.2% nationally. 

Additionally, only 46.4% of patients were at or above an expected ability to care for themselves at discharge, with the national rate at 52.8%. Nationwide, 7.2% of skilled nursing staff received the primary COVID-19 vaccination series, but only 2.9% of the staff at Brighton Gardens have done so [7]. 

The Quadrangle – Haverford, PA

The Quadrangle in Haverford, PA, is a particularly troubled nursing home based on its most recent inspection in 2024. A complaint about the nursing home resulted in citations with numerous metrics falling short of national averages. 29.9% of short-stay residents were rehospitalized after being admitted to the nursing home, but the national average is only 23.2%. 

The percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient visit to an emergency department was 16.2%, compared to 12.2% nationally. The national rate for residents at or above the expected ability to care for themselves at discharge is 52.16% nationally, but the Quadrangle has only achieved 31.33%. 

Lastly, the percentage of patients who needed and received vaccinations to prevent pneumonia was 64.8% at this facility, compared to 81.1% nationally [8]. 

The three practices mentioned above are just a few of the many skilled nursing facilities overseen by Sunrise Senior Living Inc. Hence, the chance of experiencing risks from these deficiencies at a Sunrise community is significant, which means you may need legal assistance to hold the company accountable for causing your suffering. 

How Can a Nursing Home Lawyer Help? 

If you have a loved one living in a Sunrise Senior Living facility, you play an important role in caring for them. Often, elderly individuals are more vulnerable to instances of abuse or neglect, especially in nursing homes. Fortunately, you can hold these assisted living facilities accountable when they engage in negligence or malpractice. 

The best way to pursue a lawsuit and increase your chances of winning a settlement is with the help of a nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer. An experienced attorney will guide you through the legal process, assess legal damages, gather evidence to support the claim, negotiate for fair compensation, and represent you in court if necessary. 

Helping a Loved One Who is a Victim of Nursing Home Negligence

Visiting loved ones are often the first ones to identify the signs of abuse or neglect, especially when elderly residents are unable to advocate for themselves. 

Some signs of abuse you should watch for include unexplained injuries, irritability, pressure sores, fearfulness around certain staff members, changes in behavior, poor hygiene, or unclean rooms. If you notice these signs of abuse or neglect, consult a lawyer so they can investigate the nursing home. 

The Importance of Acting Quickly

The more you wait to report suspected abuse or neglect, the more your family member may suffer. This negligence could compromise their long-term health, especially if the issue impacts their physical or mental well-being. You should also take action quickly to avoid running into the statute of limitations in your state, which could prevent you from pursuing compensation. 

Finally, waiting to consult a lawyer about suspected abuse will make it harder to collect strong evidence to support your claim. Contact an experienced law firm immediately to discuss your options and protect your loved one’s rights. 

Contingency Fee Agreement

At Nursing Home Law Center, we work on a contingency fee basis; you only pay attorney fees if we win your case through settlement or verdict. 

This arrangement means there are no upfront costs adding to your financial burden, and we are motivated to pursue maximum compensation for your medical bills, emotional distress, and physical pain from nursing home negligence. You can take legal action with our experienced lawyers without worrying about additional expenses.

Free Consultation

If you or your loved one has suffered nursing home neglect or abuse, you may have a case against Sunrise Senior Living Inc. and one of its facilities. No matter your case, you can contact the Nursing Home Law Center for a free consultation to discuss your concerns with an experienced lawyer before deciding which legal path to pursue. 

Call our office today at 800-926-7565 or complete the online form to request a free case review. 

Resources: [1] Sunrise Senior Living, [2] BBB – Sunrise Senior Living Inc, [3] Casetext, [4] Miller and Zois – Sunrise Senior Living Lawsuits, [5] McKnights Senior Living – Court Approves Class Action Status, [6] CMS – The Jefferson, [7] CMS – Brighton Gardens of Edison, [8] CMS – The Quadrangle