San Diego, California – California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that the state has filed a sweeping lawsuit against Sweetwater Care, a San Diego-based nursing facility operator, for allegedly failing to meet minimum staffing levels at its 19 skilled nursing facilities, resulting in widespread patient neglect and preventable harm.
According to findings from the California Department of Justice, Sweetwater facilities violated state staffing laws more than 14,000 times between 2020 and 2024. The Department’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) conducted the investigation, which found that the chain routinely operated its facilities without sufficient nursing staff—despite accepting tens of millions in Medi-Cal funds. Some patients reportedly endured prolonged pain, unaddressed medical emergencies, and conditions so dire that open wounds exposed bone.
“This is simply unacceptable,” Attorney General Bonta said in a statement. “Sweetwater betrayed the trust of California communities by neglecting the very people they were charged with protecting. No one is above the law, and our vulnerable patients deserve dignity, safety, and high-quality care.”…