Extendicare Health Services admission policy at its nursing homes may be illegal as Extendicare may admit immediately some patients without regard to the safety of the nursing home facility.

Investigation and ongoing class action lawsuits against Extendicare Health Services, Inc. and 26 facilities owned by Extendicare.

Extendicare Health Services, Inc. operates, according to its website, 191 senior care facilities in the United States with approximately 19,200 beds. The complaint alleges that Extendicare engages in false or deceptive advertising designed to lure elderly and infirm individuals into believing that they will get the care they need. The class action complaint contends that in spite of the claims made on Extendicare's websites, in its brochures, and in other promotional materials, it is, in fact, cheating its residents and misrepresenting itself to prospective residents. The class action complaint points to Extendicare's "Green Flag Policy" and its "24/7 Extendicare Admission Policy" to demonstrate Extendicare's "profit over people" actions.

This policy is comprised of three lists: "Green Flag, "Yellow Flag," and "Red Flag." Various medical conditions are attributed to each list. In the long-term care and nursing care industry the admissions and initial assessment process is one of the most important functions a facility performs. This process determines whether a facility can safely admit and provide adequate care to a resident given the severity of the resident's medical condition; the acuity level of residents already in the facility, and the facility's available resources, including quantity and quality of staff and available monetary resources.

The complaint alleges that Extendicare's policy is that anyone who shows up with one of the serious medical conditions on the "Green Flag" list qualifies for "Automatic Admissions/Always Yes Immediately." This policy does not take into account whether the facility is able to meet the resident's needs or the needs of the residents already residing in the facility. In fact, regardless of the list the prospective resident's medical condition puts him on, the only way he can be denied admittance is by an area vice president who is not even on site.

The facilities currently named in class actions are: Golden Valley Rehabilitation & Care dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc; Whittier Health Center dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Health & Rehabilitation of New Brighton; Richfield Health dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Robbinsdale Rehabilitation & Care dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Rose of Sharon Manor dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Park Health & Rehabilitation dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Texas Terrace Care Center dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Galtier Health dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Lexington Health & Rehab Center dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; North Auburn Rehabilitation & Health Center dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Island Health & Rehabilitation dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Bremerton Convalescent & Rehabilitation Center dba for Fir Lane Convalescent Center, Inc.; Forest Ridge Health & Rehabilitation Center dba for Fir Lane Terrace Convalescent Center, Inc.; Riverside Nursing & Rehabilitation Center dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Aldercrest Health & Rehabilitation Center (dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.); Kittitas Valley Health & Rehabilitation Center dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Evergreen Nursing & Rehabilitation Center dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Puget Sound Healthcare Center dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Crestwood Convalescent Center dba for Fir Lane Terrace Convalescent Center, Inc.; Port Angeles Care Center dba for Fir Lane Terrace Convalescent Center, Inc.; Fir Lane Health & Rehabilitation Center dba for Fir Lane Terrace Convalescent Center, Inc.; Franklin Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; The Gardens on University dba for Extendicare Homes, Inc.; Pacific Specialty & Rehabilitation Center dba Extendicare Homes, Inc.