A majority of nursing homes and long-term care facilities are owned by for profit corporations. This means that there is an owner, who unfortunately is often in this business only for the money and not for the care of the sick and elderly. When corners are cut and staff is underpaid to add to the wealth of the corporation, nursing home neglect is bound to occur. It is a sad reality that most often the best care is given in the non-profit homes because all of the funding is put towards care and not in the pocket of a greedy corporate owner.
Avery Eisenreich Takes Advantage of Residents and Employees for Profit
Avery Eisenreich is the CEO and owner of Omni, a chain of nursing homes in New Jersey which includes Bristol Manor, Rochelle Park; Castle Hill, Union City; Harbor View, Jersey City; Palisade, Guttenberg; Cedar Hill, Cedar Grove; Chancellor, Irvington; Chateau at Rochelle Park; Hudson Manor, Secaucus; Newport, Jersey City; Pope John Paul/St. Mary’s, Orange; Riverton, Rahway; Riverview, Paterson; Silver Care, Cherry Hill; and St. Cloud, West Orange. Omni nursing homes are some of the worst in the state; 45% of short-stay residents at Rochelle Park will develop bed sores.
Eisenreich, who bought the nursing homes in 1991, is also misusing Omni funds for his own personal gain. In 2007, Omni made over 20 million dollars in profit while 90% of their funding comes from tax dollars. He was not using the money to improve facility care or increase employee salary. He paid caregivers as little as $7.90 an hour while he paid himself more than $1,500 an hour. He had not invested in training programs in over two years. Eisenreich would intimidate and harass his employees, refused to offer them a reasonable family healthcare plan, and created a hostile work environment. In 2009, 400 Omni workers went on strike that lasted three days to send a message to Eisenreich and the rest of Omni that they wanted fair treatment and pay.
Matt Stanton, a spokesperson for the company, says that they held 32 meetings with the union and in 2008 a final offer was given. Although the union rejected the offer, the terms were enacted that gave employees a pay increase of more than 19% over 5 years and “additional paid time off for many incumbent employees.” This is a start for Omni, but more money needs to be put towards improving the care of the residents. Avery Eisenreich is taking advantage of the elderly, his caregivers and the taxpayers in order to make himself more money.
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one is currently a resident at a nursing home and you fear that the care they are receiving may be considered negligent or abusive, you should contact a nursing home neglect lawyer for help. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
