Atria Senior Living Breaking Promises

A report to be released Monday will show that Atria Senior Living, one of the nation's largest assisted and independent living chains, may be failing to live up to its promises of quality care. "Assisted Living's Broken Promises," a report compiled by the Campaign to Improve Assisted Living, highlights serious problems such as medication errors, low staffing, residents wandering away, and inadequate emergency planning. Atria has been cited more than 1,000 times for serious resident care problems.

"Seniors and their families pay dearly for what they're told will be the best quality of care available," said Pedro Rodriguez, Director of the Action Alliance for Senior Citizens. "This report shows Atria may not be living up to their promise of quality care."

The report, the first of its kind, shows a complete picture of the problems at this for-profit chain. Residents have reported paying thousands of dollars a month for their small apartments, yet low staffing and care problems persist.

The report outlines several disturbing incidences of serious medication errors, including a resident of Atria Campana Del Rio in Tucson, Ariz. who died after receiving medicine meant for her husband for more than a month.

An inspection of Atria Kingwood in Texas revealed a 26 percent medication error rate. Studies show that medication errors increase and the quality of resident care as a whole decreases when staffing is low.

Atria Covell Gardens in Davis, CA was cited for having only one employee available to provide care to the facility's 152 residents. Atria Virginia Beach was cited for twice having no staff on duty at its assisted living component.

"Seniors in Atria facilities need someone to be there for them," said Joan Lee, California Legislative Liaison for the Gray Panthers. "That's what assisted living is supposed to provide, but Atria is letting their residents down."

The Campaign is calling for Atria to make a real investment in front-line care by staffing-up, increasing worker training, and lowering worker turnover.

Atria operates 121 facilities in 27 states. The full report is available at http://www.improveassistedliving.org

The Campaign to Improve Assisted Living is a coalition including SEIU Healthcare, assisted living residents, caregivers, family members, and senior advocates working together to make sure that assisted living facilities provide quality, safe housing and services at a good value.