A California assisted living facility is facing criminal charges over its handling of a deadly Covid outbreak in the early days of the pandemic, opening a new potential field of risk for a key industry already struggling under a blitz of lawsuits.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the charges earlier this month.
Those in the assisted living industry worry about how criminal charges might further ratchet up the risk faced by operators of senior living centers in California.
The criminal complaint alleges Silverado Senior Living allowed a new psychiatric patient to come to its Beverly Place facility without being thoroughly tested for Covid. A nurse and 13 residents died in the outbreak Three managers also are named in the felony complaint.
A news release from Gascón’s office states the that upon arrival at the facility, "the resident allegedly was not medically assessed for the virus or other conditions."
Silverado has pleaded not guilty to the charges and the arraignment is set for April 4, KCAL reported.
Industry groups are hoping for a fair resolution of the case, Sally Michael, who is president and CEO of the California Assisted Living Association (CALA), told the Northern California Record by email.
“We grieve with the families who experienced losses as the result of the pandemic,” Michael said. “Those of us in Assisted Living saw first-hand the heartbreaking reality of what a global pandemic can bring. We all continue to acknowledge the sadness and grief that has deeply impacted all of our communities even as the pandemic has wound down. COVID-19 created too many tragic losses and that is a terrible outcome of the pandemic.
“Throughout the pandemic and today, CALA’s Assisted Living and Memory Care members remain steadfast in their commitment to providing the highest quality care to their residents. Headlines do not change that commitment. Our providers are focused on meeting the needs of the seniors and residents they serve. We view the recent announcement involving Silverado as deeply concerning and are hopeful for a resolution that exonerates Silverado and the industry leaders of the unwarranted charges brought against them.
In a statement, Jeff Frum, a Silverado spokesperson said, "Silverado's top priority is and always has been providing world-class care, respect, and dignity to people living with dementia and a caring environment for our associates. We deny all charges filed against us - they are baseless and egregiously contradict the facts. We look forward to presenting our case during the legal process. We will always grieve the loss of the residents to the pandemic and the frontline hero who cared for them. We have taken the pandemic extremely seriously since the start. We recognized COVID-19’s unprecedented threat to society, particularly for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Silverado was a leader in developing protocols for people living with dementia and many of these same protocols became standards for the entire memory care industry."
Silverado, based in Irvine, operates memory care communities throughout the country, including 15 in California.
“As we respond to recent news developments, it is important that people understand Silverado's role as a champion for the betterment of Assisted Living and Memory Care,” CALA’s Michael said. “For decades, Silverado has been involved with state and national organizations that support seniors living with disheartening and complicated diagnoses. We also want to point out that the true and often untold story of Assisted Living and Memory Care providers during the pandemic is the heroism and dedication of our front-line workers. These caregivers showed up every day, continuing to serve residents with incredible skill and tenderness in uncertain, stressful times.”