Covenant Care Lawsuit Reinstated

A state appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against the owner of 16 nursing homes in Alameda County on Wednesday and said patients can sue long-term care facilities for failing to meet California's nurse-staffing standards.

The owner, Covenant Care, argued that only state regulators had the authority to enforce the requirement that skilled-nursing homes provide each patient with 3.2 hours of nursing care per day. A Superior Court judge agreed and dismissed the suit, but the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco overruled the decision.

See Covenant Care decision and San Francisco Chronicle article:

• SF Chronicle Article
  
• Covenant Care Decision 8/12/12