The California Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday it is suing the San Diego-based Sweetwater Care nursing facility chain for allegedly failing to adequately staff its facilities.
The lawsuit claims that understaffing at Sweetwater’s 19 facilities in California has directly led to harm to patients and violated minimum staffing levels required by state law.
Sweetwater officials could not be reached for immediate comment.
The Attorney General’s Office says that per a Department of Justice investigation, Sweetwater’s facilities were below minimum staffing levels on more than 14,126 separate occasions between 2020 and 2024, which allegedly led some patients to be neglected “because staff were too few or unwilling to provide care.”
Some patients were not cared for despite having serious injuries, including “fractured bones that went days without assessment or medical care,” while others sustained falls and other medical emergencies that were not responded to in a timely fashion, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“Sweetwater and its skilled nursing facilities violated the law and betrayed the trust of communities by failing to safeguard the health and safety of its residents. This is simply unacceptable,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
“The California Department of Justice will step in whenever the well-being of patients is at stake. With today’s lawsuit, we are holding Sweetwater accountable for breaking the law by understaffing its facilities and leaving residents vulnerable to serious neglect and injuries.
“No one is above the law, and our vulnerable patients deserve nothing less than dignity, safety, and high-quality care.”
The lawsuit alleges Sweetwater Care violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and seeks remedies that would include monetary penalties, an injunction to prevent law violations, and a compliance monitor.
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