WOODBURY, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — Attorney General Letitia James sued the second-largest nursing home on Long Island on Friday for diverting millions of dollars in government funds, severely neglecting residents and undercounting COVID-19 deaths.
Bent Philipson, the nursing home magnate who owns Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Woodbury, allegedly stole $22.6 million worth of Medicaid and Medicare at the expense of residents.
The lawsuit details horrific stories of abuse and neglect at the facility.
One woman who had suffered a stroke and couldn’t easily communicate with staff was often left sitting in a soiled diaper and was only given three showers over the course of five months, according to prosecutors.
A man in his 70s with limited mobility allegedly lost 30 pounds over the course of less than four months and eventually needed to be hospitalized for dehydration and malnutrition.
A diabetic man reportedly needed a toe amputated after Cold Spring Hills failed to provide him with a wheelchair equipped with foot rests and he was forced to drag his feet on the ground.
As Philipson siphoned off funds through a network of fraudulent businesses, the nursing home cut staff, the lawsuit alleges.
Even in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when nursing homes were desperate for resources, Philipson, whose family had stake in 163 facilities across 18 states at the time, enriched himself at the expense of the residents, according to prosecutors.
The Attorney General’s Office also accused the facility of failing to report 51 COVID-19 deaths in the first three months of the pandemic.
Along with damages, the lawsuit seeks Philipson’s removal from any involvement with the facility and independent monitors to oversee the nursing home’s finances and treatment of residents.
“Cold Spring Hills’ owners put profits over patient care and left vulnerable New Yorkers to live in heartbreaking and inhumane conditions,” said James. “From Buffalo to Long Island, every nursing home in New York must abide by laws that require the best care for New Yorkers.”
Cold Spring Hills did not immediately respond to 1010 WINS’ request for comment.
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