Long Island Nursing Homes Fined $661,000 for Endangering Residents: What Families Need to Know

When the Numbers Tell a Disturbing Story

A recent Newsday investigation exposed what many families with loved ones in Long Island nursing homes have long suspected: the facilities entrusted with the care of our most vulnerable residents are, in too many cases, failing them in serious and sometimes life-threatening ways.

In 2024, state and federal regulators fined 15 Long Island nursing homes a combined $661,210 for health and safety violations. The penalties—the highest total fines assessed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) against Long Island facilities in years—stemmed from incidents involving medication errors, sexual abuse, physical mistreatment, wandering residents, and at least one case in which a suicidal resident jumped from a second-story window after staff failed to secure it.

Behind every fine is a person who was hurt. Behind every dollar figure is a family that trusted a nursing home to keep their loved one safe—and was let down.

At Leitner Warywoda, PLLC, we have spent years holding Long Island and New York nursing homes accountable in court. What follows is a breakdown of what the 2024 fine data reveals, why fines alone are not enough, and what legal rights residents and families have under New York law.

What Regulators Found: The Worst Violations of 2024

Two agencies share oversight responsibility for nursing homes in New York: the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Both conduct inspections, investigate complaints, and impose financial penalties when facilities fall short of required standards of care.

In 2024, CMS issued fines totaling more than $553,000 to Long Island nursing homes—its highest total in years. The New York State DOH imposed an additional $108,000 in fines, its lowest total since 2018. Together, these penalties tell the story of systemic failures across a region.

The Facilities That Drew the Largest Penalties

Medford Multicare Center for Living (Medford, Suffolk County)

Fined nearly $140,000 in combined state and federal penalties after regulators found that the facility failed to properly investigate allegations of sexual abuse by a certified nursing assistant (CNA). A resident reported being sexually abused by the CNA. The facility's failure to investigate and report the allegation compounded the original harm. Sexual abuse in a nursing home is not just a regulatory violation—it is a crime, and facilities that fail to act on reports of abuse can face substantial civil liability.

Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (Woodbury, Nassau County)

Fined nearly $118,000 by CMS and an additional $6,000 by the DOH after it failed to properly investigate and report allegations that a CNA forcibly handled a resident during repositioning—twisting the resident's hand while turning them in bed. The facility dismissed the report without a genuine investigation. Cold Spring Hills has been the subject of multiple regulatory actions in recent years, raising serious questions about whether its problems reflect institutional indifference rather than isolated mistakes.

St. Catherine of Siena Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center (Smithtown, Suffolk County)

Fined more than $68,000 in combined penalties after two separate incidents involving the same CNA, who slapped a resident and forcibly held another resident's wrist while providing care. In a second incident, the same CNA was seen yanking a resident's limbs aggressively, causing the resident to cry out in pain. The CNA was ultimately terminated, but the violations demonstrate how long a dangerous employee can remain in contact with vulnerable residents when supervisory oversight fails.

Pine Forest Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare (Huntington, Suffolk County)

In one of the most alarming incidents in the report, a resident with a documented history of suicidal ideation was able to open an unsecured second-story window and jump out, suffering multiple fractures. Proper protocols for securing windows and monitoring at-risk residents exist precisely to prevent this kind of tragedy. Their failure here was not a surprise event—it was a preventable one.

Maria Regina Rehabilitation and Nursing (Brentwood, Suffolk County)

A resident with dementia was discovered drinking from a bottle of hair dye that had been left unattended on a nurse's station tray. The resident's lips and tongue had already begun to swell from chemical exposure when a CNA found her. The resident required emergency transfer to South Shore University Hospital. The facility was fined $10,000 by the DOH and an additional $8,512 by CMS.

Hempstead Park Nursing Home (Hempstead, Nassau County)

A cognitively impaired resident with dementia wandered out of the facility undetected and remained missing for over 20 hours before being located by family and police. Elopement—the technical term for an unsupervised resident leaving a facility—is entirely preventable with appropriate monitoring protocols. Its occurrence almost always signals a staffing or supervision failure.

Why the Fines Are Not Enough

The numbers sound significant, but context matters. Under New York law, the DOH can impose a maximum fine of $10,000 per violation. That cap has not been adjusted meaningfully in years. For large corporate nursing home operators that generate millions in revenue annually, a $10,000 fine is not a deterrent—it is a cost of doing business.

CMS penalties are not subject to the same cap and can reach into the hundreds of thousands for egregious or repeated violations. But even those federal fines rarely reflect the true economic or human cost of the harm done to residents.

This is precisely why civil litigation matters. A lawsuit brought on behalf of a harmed resident or their family can seek compensatory damages—for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life—that dwarf any regulatory fine. In cases of egregious or willful misconduct, punitive damages may also be available under New York law.

The Staffing Crisis Behind the Violations

Many of the violations documented in the 2024 inspection cycle trace back to a common source: chronic understaffing. New York State mandates a minimum of 3.5 nursing staff hours per resident per day—a standard passed in 2021. Yet statewide data shows New York averages only 3.59 hours per resident—barely above the floor.

Understaffing has predictable consequences: residents are left unmonitored for extended periods, medication administration is rushed or skipped, at-risk residents are left without appropriate supervision, abuse by individual staff members goes undetected, and reports of complaints are not properly investigated. The 2024 fine data reflects this reality.

Your Legal Rights Under New York Law

If your loved one has been harmed in a Long Island nursing home, New York law gives you meaningful remedies. New York Public Health Law Section 2801-d creates a private right of action for nursing home residents who suffer injury as a result of deprivation of a legally established right. This statute allows families to sue facilities directly and seek compensatory—and in appropriate cases, punitive—damages.

The Federal Nursing Home Reform Act establishes enforceable standards of care for facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding, including rights to freedom from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment; adequate and appropriate medical care; a safe environment; and proper supervision and monitoring.

When a facility falls below these standards and a resident is harmed, the facility and its operators can be held civilly liable. Claims may encompass physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect including falls, elopement, medication errors, pressure ulcers, malnutrition, failure to supervise staff, failure to investigate complaints, and wrongful death.

Time limits apply. In New York, the statute of limitations for nursing home negligence claims is generally two and a half years from the date of the act of negligence. For wrongful death claims, the deadline is generally two years from the date of death. Families should consult with an attorney promptly.

A Pattern, Not an Aberration

What makes the 2024 Newsday report particularly troubling is what it reveals about repeat offenders. Several of the facilities fined in 2024 had been cited and penalized in prior years. When a facility is fined repeatedly and continues to commit similar violations, the legal significance changes. Repeated conduct can support an inference that the failures are not isolated mistakes but reflect institutional policy or deliberate indifference—a standard that can support claims for enhanced damages in civil litigation.

Leitner Warywoda regularly investigates the inspection histories, staffing records, and prior regulatory actions of nursing home facilities as part of building a comprehensive negligence case. This institutional history matters—both in establishing liability and in demonstrating to a jury the full scope of what a facility knew, or should have known, about the risks its residents faced.

What Families Should Do Right Now

If your loved one is currently in a Long Island nursing home—or if you suspect they were harmed while in one—there are concrete steps you can take:

1. Document everything. Keep notes of your observations during visits, including the condition of your loved one, the demeanor and responsiveness of staff, and any injuries or changes in condition.

2. Request records. You have a right to obtain your loved one's medical and nursing records. These documents are critical to any investigation.

3. File a complaint with the New York State Department of Health online or by phone. Regulatory complaints create a paper trail that can support civil litigation.

4. Preserve evidence including photographs of injuries, written communications with the facility, or any documentation of prior complaints.

5. Speak with an attorney promptly. The sooner experienced legal counsel is involved, the better positioned your family is to preserve evidence and build a strong case.

Leitner Warywoda: Long Island's Nursing Home Abuse Advocates

Leitner Warywoda, PLLC is a trial firm based in New York, recognized as one of the state's leading personal injury practices—named New York's #1 injury law firm in both 2023 and 2024. With more than $250 million recovered for injured clients and their families, our attorneys have deep experience investigating and litigating complex nursing home abuse and neglect cases throughout Long Island, New York City, and the entire state.

We handle cases involving nursing home falls and fractures, elopement and wandering, medication errors and overdoses, pressure ulcers, physical and sexual abuse by staff, understaffing and inadequate supervision, and wrongful death in nursing facilities.

Our firm has built a reputation for taking on well-funded nursing home operators and holding them accountable in court. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial—because sometimes it does, and juries respond to the truth.

If your family has been affected by nursing home abuse or neglect on Long Island or anywhere in New York, contact Leitner Warywoda today for a free, confidential consultation. There is no fee unless we recover for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common signs of nursing home neglect on Long Island?

Warning signs include unexplained injuries or bruises, sudden weight loss, worsening bedsores, falls that go unreported, changes in mood or behavior, poor hygiene, and medication errors. If your loved one seems fearful of staff or reluctant to speak openly in their presence, take that seriously.

Can I sue a Long Island nursing home for a fall or injury?

Yes, under New York law, a nursing home can be held liable when a resident is injured due to negligent supervision, inadequate staffing, or failure to implement a proper care plan. New York Public Health Law Section 2801-d provides a specific cause of action for nursing home residents whose rights are violated.

How long do I have to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit in New York?

Generally, two and a half years from the act of negligence for personal injury claims, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims. These deadlines can be complex—consult an attorney as soon as possible.

Are regulatory fines evidence of wrongdoing in a civil lawsuit?

Prior regulatory citations and fines can be highly relevant in civil litigation as evidence of notice—that is, the facility knew or should have known about dangerous conditions and failed to correct them. An experienced nursing home attorney will investigate the facility's full regulatory history as part of building your case.

What compensation can my family recover in a nursing home negligence case?

Recoverable damages may include medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and—in cases of egregious conduct—punitive damages. In wrongful death cases, surviving family members may recover for loss of support, companionship, and funeral expenses, among other items.

This blog post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you believe your loved one has been harmed in a nursing home, please contact a qualified New York attorney to discuss the specific facts of your situation.