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According to a recent Newsday report, recent state and federal inspections have uncovered troubling problems at multiple Long Island nursing homes, leading to more than $500,000 in fines. The report, which featured commentary from Dalli & Marino’s own founding partner, John Dalli, revealed serious violations in facilities ranging from failures to provide timely medical care to incidents of physical and sexual abuse. Families trust these facilities to protect vulnerable loved ones. What investigators found instead raises real concerns about resident safety and oversight.
Fatal Delays in Care at Water’s Edge
One of the most disturbing cases involved Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson. In late January 2025, a resident developed a high fever and a rapid heart arrhythmia. A nurse recommended an emergency hospital transfer for a blood transfusion, but a supervisor overruled that decision, deciding the resident could wait until morning. By early hours of the next day, the resident had died. The state fined the facility $10,000 for the incident.
In a separate inspection later in the year, federal regulators found another serious failure at the same facility. A resident who required an oxygen tank ended up in respiratory distress after the tank ran empty. According to inspection records, a nurse initially dismissed the resident’s pleas for air as exaggeration and a panic attack before someone realized the tank was empty. CMS later fined Water’s Edge almost $154,000, the largest federal fine against a Long Island nursing home in 2025.
These incidents show how quickly routine nursing home care can turn into life‑threatening neglect.
Numerous Citations and Fines Issued
In 2025, state and federal inspectors issued 18 citations to Long Island nursing homes for serious health and safety violations, including multiple allegations of physical or sexual abuse. These citations resulted in $511,092 in combined fines, of which $116,000 was issued by the New York State Department of Health to nine facilities (roughly 11 percent of the region’s 78 largely private nursing homes). Investigators found residents were often not adequately supervised, abuse allegations went unreported or were poorly investigated, and basic care protocols were ignored.
What Is Driving Nursing Home Risks?
Advocates and elder care experts, including John Dalli, tie many of these violations back to staffing shortages. When facilities do not have enough qualified nurses and aides, critical checks and timely responses to emergencies become harder to maintain.
According to Dalli, chronic understaffing can mean fewer eyes on residents who need help, delays in recognizing changes in health, and slower response times when residents are in distress. Families expect nursing homes to have adequate, well-trained staff on hand at all times, yet these fines suggest that expectation is not always being met.
Get Help Protecting Loved Ones After Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse
Nursing home residents and their families have the right to safe, dignified care free from abuse, neglect, and unnecessary risk. Regulatory fines can signal serious safety problems, but they do not automatically fix underlying issues. If you suspect that your loved one is not receiving the care they deserve, whether because of neglect, abuse, or poor supervision, it’s important to take action.
Dalli & Marino has been serving clients throughout New York since 1996, with a specific focus on nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Our attorneys understand the unique legal and medical issues that arise in these claims, and we have secured millions of dollars for victims and families in nursing home cases involving bedsores, severe fall injuries, sexual abuse, and other instances of nursing home negligence.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys in New York can support your family during this difficult time.
