A San Diego County-based skilled nursing facility chain will pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the state of California that alleged the chain violated state staffing requirement laws. Sweetwater Care was sued last year by the California Attorney General's Office, which alleged its facilities were understaffed in more than 14,126 instances between 2021 and 2024, in violation of California law. Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7. Others sustained falls that went unwitnessed, were left overnight in soiled diapers, or experienced other medical emergencies that were not responded to in a timely fashion, the AG's Office claimed. The settlement includes $12.5 million in penalties and costs and $2.5 million to go toward staffing improvements and securing a compliance monitor for all 17 Sweetwater facilities for the next three years.