Feces-stained floors and walls, broken handrails and fly infestations are among the horrors state officials found at a Cherry Hill nursing home in late 2021.

A year later, an aid was accused of kicking a resident who lay on the floor.

The home, Silver Healthcare Center is owned by an LLC with a dozen officers including Benjamin Landa.

Landa is a Long Island, New York man who owns at least 130 nursing homes nationwide and is being sued by New York state for fraud abuse and neglect.

He is also connected with at least two other New Jersey facilities including Homestead Rehabilitation in Sussex County, which has drawn multiple complaints.

Is the state equipped to investigate and regulate the nursing home industry?

Our health care reporter Lilo Stainton has been digging into that and joins me now.

Lilo, these situations you're reporting on are just horrific when I read them you know.

I can't help but think is everyone just turning a blind eye?

Is it staff shortages?

Who in the state is policing these homes like I just don't understand?

Yeah I mean I have to say I actually feel for the regulators.

I think that they must be under some kind of PTSD after seeing this because and I feel for some of the staff because you cannot work in that kind of condition or see that day after day and feel okay about it.

I mean I know there are definitely staffing shortages there are a lot the industry faces an enormous amount of challenges but um but there are people watching and I think you know.

The state reports exist, the state is doing inspections um the question is, is it enough?

I mean is it enough to catch people before there's a problem or is it just finding it after the fact?

Right absolutely and what type of staff challenges are these facilities experiencing, when we think about staffing issues in general?

Well this has been the complaint I mean as we know it's a complaint for every industry right um.

Whether you're talking about like retail or you know, trucking.

I mean there's all kinds of industries that are facing challenges.

Healthcare is a huge, it has a huge problem um.

Nursing homes are among the worst in that group um.

So it's a big problem but you know on the other hand people say if they were only paying people more you would get people applying for these jobs.

You know that's, you still need training, you need licensing, so it's not an immediate fix but you know wages are an issue.

But here's the thing we know that someone has to be held accountable and we know Benjamin Landa and associates have been cited multiple times for serious deficiency.

So how are these facilities still open?

Well I think one answer is, the question is how bad are things and where do people go?

I mean people constantly say to me um you know the state, it's hard for the state to close the facility.

This was the problem we saw at Woodland up in Sussex County.

You know, where do you put 300 people with serious health needs um in a time when there's shortages all around?

But you know I mean the New York State Attorney General to Mr. Landa's case you know, is is has filed charges against him.

So you know, maybe the court is necessary, I can't speak to that.

But you know that is working in New York, that process is playing out in court now.

It's very unfortunate.

Hopefully we'll see legislation that can play a big role in this.

Lilo Stainton thank you, as always excellent reporting.

Please keep us updated on that.

Thank you [Music]