New Mexico's attorney general is suing a major nursing home chain over allegedly poor care. The lawsuit argues that facilities' thin staffing made it impossible to address resident needs.
The lawsuit's legal strategy could be applied in other states. It targets eight nursing homes run by Plano, Texas-based Preferred Care Partners Management Group, the country's tenth-largest nursing home chain.
The company says it has no immediate comment.
New Mexico says the hours worked by nursing assistants at Preferred Care's facilities were insufficient to meet residents' needs. The lawsuit says understaffing left residents with soiled linens and unable to eat or drink without help.
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Horwitz reported from Washington.
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