AUSTIN — Court-appointed trustees will take over the operations of 13 Texas nursing homes after a bankruptcy trustee determined they could not pay their staffs, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday.

An order issued by a Travis County District Court last week appoints three trustees to manage the nursing homes and authorizes the state to use an emergency trust fund to pay current operating expenses.

“These nursing homes face a financial crisis that must be remedied for the good of the seniors who live in these facilities,” Abbott said. “Today’s action will make sure that the best possible quality of care is maintained until a long-term solution is found.”

The nursing homes are controlled by companies headed by parent company Foremost Care Inc. in Euless. No one answered the telephone at Foremost Care Wednesday afternoon.

A bankruptcy trustee in June said that the nursing homes did not have sufficient funds to pay the staff who care for the residents or to pay for nursing home suppliers who provide goods and services needed to maintain the facilities, the attorney general’s office said.

The court order authorizes three trustees to take administrative control of the homes, including managing and paying staff and vendors, maintaining patient records and contracting with the state Department of Aging and Disability Services for Medicaid services. DADS is charged with making sure the state’s nursing homes meet state health and safety standards.

The trustees were given $1 million from a state emergency fund to handle the duties.

“Our first priority is the well being of the residents of these nursing homes,” said DADS Commissioner Jim Hine. “DADS staff will work closely with the court-appointed trustees to protect the residents who live in these facilities.”

The following nursing homes are affected: Spring Season of Abilene, Spring Season of River Oaks in Fort Worth, Hurst Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Spring Season of Sherman, Crestview Villa in Corrigan, Spring Season of Elkhart, Spring Season of Mart, Spring Season of Vidor, Hillside Health and Rehab in Wells, Spring Season of Beeville, Spring Season of Cuero, Sunbranch Nursing Center in Groesbeck and Rivercrest Nursing and Rehab in San Marcos.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites