Athena Health Care Systems, one of the biggest long-term care providers in Connecticut, has come under the scrutiny of officials in three New England states after receiving consistent complaints about conditions in its nursing homes. Athena is also facing multiple lawsuits alleging that the company failed to pay employee health benefits and that it didn’t pay for temporary staffing during the pandemic. The Farmington, Conn.-based company recently agreed to pay a $1.75 million fine to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office — the largest nursing home fine ever in that state — for admitting people with substance abuse issues to its nursing homes without being able to provide them with appropriate treatment, leading to “numerous overdoses,” according to the Attorney General’s office.
