Nursing Homes

A federal judge ruled that the owners also broke federal law when they laid people off without proper notice, and that those workers are owed more than $1.9 million in damages.

Metro-east nursing homes were cited and fined a total of $1.3 million from state and federal regulatory agencies.

Nursing homes are designed to care for patients with physical infirmities. But nationwide, 1 in 5 residents has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or psychosis — conditions few of the facilities are equipped to handle — putting staff and residents at risk.

Around this time last year, a quarter of nursing homes hadn’t been inspected in at least two years. Now the number is closer to 3%, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data.

A St. Louis nursing home’s abrupt closure in late 2023 upended the lives of more than 170 residents and families. Advocates and politicians called for its directors to be held accountable, but a $56,000 fine from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could be the only penalty.

The nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID, which exacerbated pre-existing challenges in long-term care – difficulties hiring and retaining staff and a population more reliant on government-funded care chief among them.

A federal rule will require long-term care facilities to have a minimum number of nursing staff on hand at all times to take care of residents.

Willowcreek shut down because of financial issues, according to Steve Miller, the owner and operator of the two nursing homes under the Helia Healthcare company.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is fining the directors of the closed Northview Village nursing home more than $18,000 for each day they violated federal rules. Advocates for residents of long-term care facilities say it's not enough.

The bill would also require a professional nurse to serve as a director of nursing and designate a charge nurse for each shift.