Six senior living communities are being sued by the Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio, which alleges that the communities discriminate in their requirements of current and prospective tenants, especially those with disabilities.
“The lawsuits allege that all six communities require wide-ranging and intrusive information regarding the medical conditions and possible disabilities of prospective residents,” the council posted on its Facebook page. “Some communities go so far as to require a physician’s assessment and approval of prospective residents before they can be admitted.” Additionally, according to the council, some of the communities named in the lawsuits restrict the use of motorized wheelchairs and require residents using them to take out additional liability insurance.
Lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against Towers on Park Lane independent living community; Inn at Los Patios independent and assisted living community; Franklin Park Sonterra independent and assisted living community; Adante independent living, assisted living and memory care community; Forum at Lincoln Heights, a Five Star Senior Living continuing care retirement / life plan community; and Brookdale Patriot Heights, a CCRC. The lawsuits specifically refer to the independent living components of the properties.
Sandra Tamez, the council’s executive director, told told the Express-News that the legal action stems from a two-year investigation involving visits to 30 sites.
Kristin Puckett, public relations manager for Brookdale Senior Living, told the newspaper that Patriot Heights does not discriminate and that Brookdale intends to “rebut the findings,” the newspaper reported.
Thomas Horan, a lawyer for the Inn at Los Patios, told the media outlet that he had not seen the federal lawsuit against his client and so could not comment. The other communities reportedly did not respond to interview requests from the Express-News.
