MILFORD, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police launched an investigation into suspected medical neglect at Belle Reve Senior Living in Milford Borough on February 17, 2026, after receiving an anonymous tip, according to a state police news release. Fifteen residents were subsequently transported to four area hospitals for medical evaluation, prompting a coordinated multi-agency emergency response across Pike County.
The investigation began when troopers from PSP Troop R responded to the facility, which houses approximately 83 residents across three floors — two dedicated to assisted living and one to memory care, according to the Times-Tribune. After conducting initial on-site assessments, authorities determined that 15 residents required further medical evaluation at outside hospitals.
According to multiple reports, the residents were transported to Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, New York; Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, New York; Newton Medical Center in Newton, New Jersey; and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The Pike County Department of Public Safety Emergency Management coordinated the response alongside various fire and EMS resources to ensure evaluations were conducted "in a timely and thorough manner," as stated in the police release.
The Pike County Courier reported that all 15 transported residents came from a single neighborhood unit within the facility. However, the facility's owner, Viva Senior Living, disputed the official count. Heather Terhark, the company's chief strategy officer, told WVIA that only 11 residents were sent for evaluation and characterized the hospital visits as "precautionary." Terhark stated, "At no time was the community evacuated, nor were any neighborhood units closed."
The majority of hospitalized residents had returned to Belle Reve by the time of initial media reports, according to WVIA. State police said that as of Wednesday afternoon, "there are no known unmet needs" among the remaining residents, and the facility continued to operate.
Pike County Board of Commissioners Chairman Matthew Osterberg addressed the situation in remarks reported by the Times-Tribune, stating, "It's a very sad situation is all I can say. Many people have dealt with elderly family members who have been in these facilities, and we just hope they're treated with care."
Family members of at least one resident raised serious concerns. Anonymous relatives told Mid Hudson News that their mother had experienced over-sedation, repeated falls, and four separate hospitalizations since arriving at Belle Reve in December 2025, adding, "Patients are not safe there."
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services confirmed to WVIA that the facility had self-reported the situation to state DHS. The investigation involves PSP Troop R's Major Case Team, Pike County detectives, and the Pike County Area Agency on Aging, according to Mid Hudson News. The county's Office of Aging also conducted its own review of the facility, as reported by the Pike County Courier.
Provisional License and Prior Violations
The current investigation comes against a troubling regulatory backdrop. According to the Pike County Courier, Belle Reve had been operating on a provisional license since December 12, 2025, after its full certificate of compliance — which had been valid from May 15, 2025, through May 15, 2026 — was revoked by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
That revocation followed an inspection on October 22, 2025, which uncovered multiple violations, as reported by the Pike County Courier. Among the findings, inspectors documented that a resident with a documented history of sexual abuse was found touching another resident, that memory care residents were denied full access to their bedrooms, and that facility staff failed to adequately address both a resident elopement incident and a separate sexual abuse incident.
Ownership & Operations
Belle Reve Senior Living underwent an ownership transition in December 2025, according to the Pike County Courier. The previous operator was Care HSL Belle Reve OPCO LLC. Viva Senior Living assumed operations around the same time the facility was placed on its provisional license.
Personal care homes and assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania are regulated by the Department of Human Services rather than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees skilled nursing facilities. As such, Belle Reve does not carry a CMS star rating or appear in the federal Nursing Home Compare database. Federal regulations under CMS apply to certified skilled nursing facilities, where deficiency inspections, staffing data, and quality measures are publicly tracked. The distinction is important for families researching care options: assisted living and personal care homes are subject to state-level oversight, which can vary significantly in transparency and enforcement.
Pennsylvania law requires personal care homes to meet specific staffing, safety, and resident rights standards. The state's Department of Human Services conducts inspections and has the authority to issue provisional licenses, impose corrective action plans, or revoke a facility's ability to operate when violations are identified.
Resources for Families
Families with concerns about the care of loved ones at Belle Reve or any other long-term care facility in Pennsylvania can contact the following resources:
- Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman: 1-800-254-5164 - National Elder Abuse Hotline: 1-800-677-1116 - Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center: ltcombudsman.org - Pennsylvania State Police Blooming Grove Station (for this investigation): 570-226-5718
Anyone with information related to the Belle Reve investigation is urged to contact state police at the Blooming Grove station number listed above. Families can also file concerns directly with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which oversees the licensing and regulation of personal care homes in the commonwealth.
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