Willowbrook Nursing Facility Reaches $450K Settlement Over Patient Dumping Claims

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Willowbrook assisted living facility accused of patient dumping has reached a $450,000 settlement with the Los Angeles city attorney's office.

City Attorney Mike Feuer announced the settlement Thursday morning with Avalon Villa Care Center, located at 12029 S. Avalon Blvd.

Avalon Villa "failed to properly discharge homeless patients, and failed to meet certain quality of care standards in caring for all of its residents," Feuer said in a statement.

Avalon must use $325,000 of the settlement amount to hire and train staff to implement proper "homeless discharge planning protocols" and address "quality of care issues." Another $75,000 will go towards civil penalties, and $50,000 will be used to pay for housing for homeless patients who are discharged.

The investigation began in April, when 51-year-old Ronald Anderson, who is diabetic and confined to a wheelchair, told CBS2 he was kicked out of the Avalon Villa Care Center and dropped off in front of the Union Rescue Mission in downtown L.A. with just his wheelchair.

Anderson, who had part of his foot amputated due to diabetes, told CBS2 he has insurance and had been living at Avalon Villa for about 18 months prior to being abandoned.

"I told them I can't survive in a homeless shelter," Anderson said. "I can't take care of myself in a homeless shelter. I've been in one before and they didn't care. They said, 'we can do it. We are sending you.'"

"I didn't have any needles, didn't have the blood-glucose tester, didn't have any insulin, no pain medication, nothing," Anderson claimed. "You feel like a piece of trash that nobody cares about."

At the time, Avalon sent CBS2 a statement which read:

"Avalon Village Care Center adheres to the highest level of ethics and morals and the care of our patients is our number one priority. All care, including the discharge of patients, is conducted in compliance with all laws and regulations."

Back in October of 2016, Gardens Regional Hospital and Medical Center agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Feuer's office which alleged that it dumped a homeless woman with schizophrenia on Skid Row.

Patient dumping is prohibited in downtown Los Angeles, but Rev. Andy Bales, who runs the Union Rescue Mission, told CBS2 it happens all the time.

"We need to change that, and we need to change it now," said Rev. Bales.