Elk Grove senior home sued for negligence after 74 year old dies of extreme heat
An assisted living facility in Elk Grove is facing a lawsuit alleging wrongful death, negligence and elder neglect after the death of a 74-year-old resident. The suit adds to a mounting list of complaints and concerns about the care given to residents at WellQuest Living facilities around California.
A family moved K.C., the elderly resident, into a senior living facility because she needed better care than they were able to provide her at home. Three days later, K.C. was in the hospital fighting for her life.
K.C.’s relatives, who asked that her full name be withheld to protect her privacy, decided to move her into WellQuest of Elk Grove’s memory care unit when the symptoms of her dementia- confusion, forgetfulness and wandering- proved more than they could manage at home.
Three days later, K.C. was found unresponsive in an outdoor courtyard on a 102-degree day. It’s unclear how long she was left unattended. When paramedics arrived, her internal temperature was 105 degrees. Doctors found first-degree burns covering close to a quarter of her body.
K.C.’s family believes her death was preventable. Their lawsuit, filed in June, alleges that WellQuest of Elk Grove is liable for their inaction.
The facility has faced multiple reports of negligence related to everything from extreme heat to medication mismanagement. But the company’s challenges are not unique to the Elk Grove location. Similar complaints alleging insufficient care have been levied against other WellQuest facilities in California, according to state records. The company also recently faced a class-action lawsuit alleging they failed to protect the private information of employees and patients.
Warnings and wanderings
K.C. arrived at the WellQuest of Elk Grove senior living home on September 29, 2024. A three-story building approved for up to 170 residents, WellQuest of Elk Grove promised a secure facility, full-time care and a variety of social and recreational activities for memory care residents, billed at nearly $8,000 a month.
During intake, the facility noted that K.C. would need significant supervision due to her condition, the lawsuit alleges. The day after she arrived, records show that her care team described her as a “wanderer” and noted that they needed to keep a close eye on her to keep her safe. Those warnings were not heeded, the lawsuit alleges.
Five days after K.C.’s death, a complaint was filed with the Community Care Licensing Division of California’s Department of Social Services. The agency’s investigation later found that a COVID outbreak may have contributed to the lack of supervision. Multiple staff members interviewed as part of that investigation reported concerns about the impact of staffing shortages on the quality of care at the facility.
“Wellquest of Elk Grove and our staff are deeply saddened by this incident and continue to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family,” Scott Bissey, senior vice president of operations for WellQuest’s corporate office, said in a statement. “We remain committed to working with the family and their attorneys towards an acceptable resolution.”
The company cannot comment further due to the pending lawsuit, he said.
A history of complaints
WellQuest of Elk Grove has had numerous complaints of inadequate care in recent years, including another stemming from a heat-related illness.
In May 2022, a resident was diagnosed with actinic keratosis, a skin condition caused by excessive sun exposure. Doctors sent the resident back to the facility with an order for the “nursing home to apply sunscreen.” A complaint investigation later concluded that the home failed to do so. The investigation reported that in September 2022, doctors prescribed topical creams to treat the worsening condition.
A few weeks later, the resident’s face appeared red and blotchy, with patches of “dark brown discolored skin that is peeling off,” but investigators could not find sufficient evidence to prove the resident was left in the sun for an extended period of time without staff intervention.
Earlier this year, another investigation by the Community Care Licensing Division of California’s Department of Social Services found that the facility was overcharging residents and failing to meet their legally mandated basic food service requirement by only providing two meals per day unless a resident pays extra for a third meal. WellQuest disagreed and is appealing these findings, according to a complaint investigation report published by the Community Care Licensing Division of California’s Department of Social Services.
WellQuest of Elk Grove has struggled to maintain adequate staffing levels and ensure staff are properly trained, according to reports from the Community Care Licensing Division. Sustained allegations include medication mismanagement due to lack of training, poor supervision of residents due to short-staffing and improper record-keeping, also due to inadequate training. Seven inspections and complaint investigations have referenced insufficient staffing levels and employee training since 2022, especially in the memory care unit.
Complaints and inspection reports published by California’s Department of Social Services indicate that medication mismanagement, short-staffing and high turnover among staff and leadership are persistent problems in WellQuest facilities around California.
WellQuest’s problems persist around the state
In addition to the Elk Grove location, WellQuest maintains at least 13 other senior living facilities in California, according to the company’s website. Several of those have also struggled to ensure patients receive adequate supervision.
Villa Capri, a WellQuest facility in Santa Rosa, has had five sustained complaints since 2023 related to insufficient patient care, including not giving medication, helping with incontinence or responding to patients’ requests for assistance in a timely fashion. A WellQuest Facility in San Rafael has had five substantiated complaints related to medication mismanagement in the past two years.
WellQuest’s Menifee Lakes location has a sustained complaint for medication mismanagement from August 2022. . The company’s Granite Bay facility has had one sustained complaint since 2022, for failing to lock away tools and products used for grooming and hygiene in their memory care unit.
In May, a staff member allegedly stole thousands of dollars from a resident at a WellQuest facility in Moorpark, in Southern California. A state investigation found two unusual charges on the resident’s credit card, one to StubHub for more than $1,600 and another to Delta Airlines for more than $4,700. An internal investigation linked the airline purchase to a member of the facility’s office staff. The facility reported the theft to the police and fired the employee. That facility has also struggled with short staffing and high turnover, according to staff interviewed by state regulators.
A recent federal class-action lawsuit filed in California alleges WellQuest failed to protect patients’ health and other personal information, leading to a data breach the company still has not announced publicly, according to the lawsuit, which was filed August 5. Plaintiffs and attorneys involved in that case declined to comment in August, citing the ongoing litigation. The suit was withdrawn on September 3.
WellQuest was founded in 2018 by the owners of one of the largest privately-held companies in the United States, FJ Management. The Utah-based company, which owns gas stations like Flying J, Pilot and Maverick also works in hospitality and wealth management.
The next hearing in the Elk Grove lawsuit is in October. A judge will decide if the suit has to be thrown out due to an arbitration agreement between K.C.’s family and WellQuest of Elk Grove signed two days before her admission and five days before her death. The agreement limits their ability to speak publicly about the tragedy and their efforts to hold the company accountable.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM.
