More than 330 residents of Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center have been infected with the novel coronavirus, and 73 of them have died from coronavirus-related illness.
BEAVER — A large, for-profit Pennsylvania nursing home where dozens of residents died of COVID-19 was sued Wednesday over allegations that it failed to take basic steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, near the Ohio border, was among the hardest-hit nursing homes in the state, with more than 330 residents infected and 73 deaths, according to the state Department of Health. It has been under federal and state criminal investigation over its handling of the virus.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of five current residents and the families of 10 residents who died, alleges that Brighton’s operators chronically understaffed the facility, which forced the nursing staff to “cut corners while struggling to care for hundreds of residents during the pandemic.”
Brighton didn’t have an infection control program, allowing the virus to spread unchecked, the suit said. Citing a state inspection, it said Brighton didn’t even keep soap or paper towels at hand-washing sinks.
“What happened at Brighton was nothing short of a tragedy,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney, Bob Daley. “Brighton as an entity systematically failed its residents.”
Among the suit’s dozens of allegations: Brighton failed to separate infected residents from those who had tested negative, allowed staffers who had contracted the virus to continue to work while infected, and provided inaccurate information about the outbreak to family members and health officials.
Brighton said in a statement released by its public relations firm that it has “worked to closely follow the guidance of governmental health officials,” asserting that it has gone months without a new case of COVID-19.
“Right now, the facility’s sole focus remains on ensuring the health and well-being of all residents and staff,” the statement said.
RELATED: Wolf and Levine to PA: Please Cooperate so Coronavirus Cases Don’t Spin Out of Control
Plaintiff Jodi Gill, whose 82-year-old father, Glenn Gill, contracted COVID-19 at Brighton, said her father’s dementia has become much worse since he contracted the virus several months ago.
“My attorney said they chose profits over patients, and that’s exactly what they did,” said Gill, adding she is worried the virus will make a resurgence there.
Wednesday’s suit is the second against Brighton. The family of a housekeeper who died of COVID-19 while working at Brighton sued in July.
Beaver County, which ran Brighton as the Friendship Ridge nursing home, sold it in 2014 for $38 million to Comprehensive HealthCare Management Services LLC, which is named as a defendant.
Long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania and nationwide were hit especially hard by COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. Across the state, about 25,000 residents of more than 1,000 nursing and personal care homes have contracted the virus to date, and 5,666 have died, accounting for two-thirds of the statewide toll, according to the Health Department.
Politics
Influencers and creators find new ways to engage young Philadelphia voters
Rec Philly, a space for creators and influencers, teamed up with Show Up Strong to get hundreds of young Philadelphia residents engaged in the...
New Biden rule protects privacy of women seeking abortions
Under the new rules, state officials and law enforcement cannot obtain medical records related to lawful reproductive health care with the goal of...
Biden marks Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in solar grants
The Biden administration on Monday announced the recipients of its Solar For All Program, a $7 billion climate program that aims to lower energy...
Local News
Conjoined twins from Berks County die at age 62
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations,...
Railroad agrees to $600 million settlement for fiery Ohio derailment, residents fear it’s not enough
Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement for a fiery train derailment in February 2023 in eastern Ohio,...