Long Island's most vulnerable residents need better protection

An essential role of government is to protect the most vulnerable. Two recent stories have spotlighted how Long Islanders who are elderly or require additional care are at enormous risk, seemingly in dangerous and deplorable situations without adequate protections.

Consider the senior housing cooperative in Elmont that flooded last week. The Foster Meadow Lane complex, built less than 20 years ago as part of a state program to encourage the construction of such cooperatives, has been cited for numerous Hempstead Town building code violations dating back to 2008, according to town officials. While some were fixed, the problems became more severe; flooding occurred in 2021 and the facility was designated an "unsafe structure" in 2022.

All of that might have gone unchecked if last week's flooding hadn't forced 100 residents to shelter in a nearby school gym, leading to greater scrutiny of their housing complex.

Then there's Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation in Woodbury. The facility's alarming conditions, mistreatment of patients and underreporting of COVID-19-related deaths only became clear after the pandemic exposed existing horrors, leading to a Newsday investigation in 2020 and a lawsuit by Attorney General Letitia James in 2022. The state is attempting to revoke the home's operating permit and has asked state Supreme Court Justice Lisa Cairo to appoint fiscal and health monitors — a request Cold Spring Hills attorneys have rejected.

The two stories illustrate severe shortcomings in the region's housing opportunities and long-term care options for seniors and others who need assistance. There's little question similar situations are happening elsewhere on Long Island, situations we don't even know about because a tragic event or investigation hasn't exposed them — yet.

The troubling situation at the Elmont retirement complex might have stemmed from older residents being unable to make fixes or challenge a potentially problematic management company. State, county and town officials must assess the facility's needs and determine next steps, while ensuring Elmont's seniors have a safe place to call home. Nassau County is correct to take legal action — and James might need to get involved. State and local officials also should check whether other retirement cooperatives have similar problems and establish better follow-up procedures after citing code violations.

The circumstances surrounding Cold Spring Hills are also complicated. The attorney general is right to seek monitors, and the state Health Department is right to try to revoke the facility's operating permit. Meanwhile, residents still live there, without any indication care or services have improved. In this case, it's up to the courts to put the residents' needs above Cold Spring Hills' profit and reputation.

Our most vulnerable seem to get the worst of our infrastructure, our housing and our care. We have to do better — in Elmont, Woodbury and beyond.