Three Elder Care Facilities Shut Down in Juiz de Fora Over Irregularities

Juiz de Fora has shut down three long-term care facilities for the elderly as part of "Operation Virtue," a national initiative to combat crimes against seniors, including violence, exploitation, neglect, and discrimination. The joint operation involved the Municipal Health Surveillance Department, the Minas Gerais State Health Surveillance, and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Minas Gerais. The penalized institutions were Casa de Maria Instituição para Idosos Ltda, Lar de Idosos Flor de São Francisco, and Vila Toscana Flat Sênior Ltda - Solar. According to the Prefecture, two of these facilities had prior shutdown orders due to structural and service deficiencies but failed to comply with the municipal health surveillance's directives. The third facility was operating clandestinely and was given 48 hours to relocate its elderly residents to family homes. Health inspectors issued notices for regularization and infraction reports. In the first half of the year, 15 long-term care facilities in Juiz de Fora were inspected, with six being cited for lacking sanitary permits or other serious violations. Health surveillance also monitored key health indicators such as dehydration, malnutrition, pressure sores, falls, scabies, acute diarrhea, suicide attempts, and mortality rates to identify risks and develop mitigation strategies.