The company was founded in 1993, and was acquired by Brookdale Senior Living (the largest company in the industry at the time [1]) in July 2014 after a $23 million punitive damages award against it in a civil lawsuit in 2013.

Emeritus specialized in assisted living services for seniors who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, meals and medications management.

[3] As a result of the merger with Brookdale, Emeritus now manages 1,100 facilities in 46 states.

[4] An episode of Frontline which aired on July 30, 2013, documented the alleged neglect and physical abuses perpetrated on patients by employees of Emeritus.

[5] In one civil lawsuit, Joan Boice et al v. Emeritus Corporation, a Sacramento, California jury found Emeritus liable for neglect which apparently resulted in the 2009 death of a patient; the jury assessed the company $23 million in punitive damages.