Nassau judge blocks nursing home from shutdown and evacuation of its patients
The judge ruled the nursing home must stay open and residents will not be displaced.
More Stories
The latest proposal from the attorney for Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation is keeping the facility open for at least two more weeks and not evacuate its residents during that time.
The facility's lawyer says the first priority is to protect the residents and that the nursing home may run out of resources for them.
A Nassau County judge reached a decision on Friday on the attorney general's emergency injunction to keep the facility open if the two sides couldn't come to a compromise. The judge ruled the nursing home must stay open and residents will not be displaced.
“The owners of Cold Spring Hills’ attempt to endanger vulnerable residents and lay off their workers just days before the holidays was not only insensitive, it was illegal," said Attorney General Letitia James. "My office took action to stop this illegal evacuation and protect these residents and workers. This decision will ensure the nursing home remains open and its staff continues to get paid. We will not tolerate attempts to put these nursing home residents or their caretakers at risk for the sake of profit.”
The brother of a Cold Spring Hills resident called the judge’s ruling “a Christmas gift” but added that he hopes things don’t “revert” back to the way they were in recent days.
The New York attorney general filed the injunction to stop more than 300 patients from being evacuated and is asking the judge to give residents and employees at least 60 days to leave the nursing home.
“We want to thank Attorney General James and her team for quickly responding to this emergency situation, and defending vulnerable New Yorkers and the workers who care for them. We applaud Judge Cairo for prioritizing the wellbeing of seniors and people with disabilities and their caregivers. Today’s decision allows the dedicated nursing home staff to continue providing care to the residents of Cold Spring Hills through the holidays and into the new year, but hundreds of residents and their families deserve a long-term solution to this situation,” said 1199SEIU President George Gresham.
The facility lawyers and AG's office will be back in court on Jan. 6.
