Arizona AG asks courts to take over Mesa elder care facility accused of abuse and consumer fraud

PHOENIX — A Mesa elder care facility was accused of abuse and consumer fraud in a lawsuit by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who also asked that the owners lose control of the home during litigation.

Heritage Village Assisted Living was told by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) in January its license was going to be revoked due to repeated violations of Arizona law.

The suit alleges the facility’s owners, Madison Realty Companies’ Gary Langendoen and Matthew Arnold, billed it as capable of providing specialized care to vulnerable adults while being consistently understaffed.

About a quarter of the 150 patients at Heritage Village are bedbound and most haven’t had a proper evaluation from a physician who has reviewed service plans, according to the lawsuit.

Several other employees of Heritage Village, located near Brown Road and 80th Street, and providers are named as defendants in the lawsuit. That includes Ability Hospice, which provides care at Heritage Village and is owned by the husband of the care facility’s executive director.

“The vulnerable residents at Heritage Village face not only the danger of inadequate care and dangerous conditions, but also the danger of Heritage Village shutting down entirely because it lost its license,” Mayes said in a press release.

“In the near term, we are asking the court to bring in a receiver to run the facility correctly and ensure the residents receive the care they are paying for.”

Mayes wants Heritage Village owners removed immediately

Arizona’s attorney general cited the Adult Protective Services Act as a way to force Heritage Village’s owners to divest their holdings in the company.

Mayes said that residents and their families will have to scramble to find new arrangements if the facility is shut down by ADHS.

The state has nominated Peter Davis to serve as the facility’s receiver during legal proceedings.

“Assisted living facilities like Heritage Village should be run by qualified health care providers, not real estate speculators,” Mayes said.

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