Arizona State Ends Contract with Group Home Operator After Resident Death

A 65-year-old man with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s died in late August after spending weeks in a Phoenix group home without working air conditioning. His sisters say the heat caused him to deteriorate rapidly before he passed away. The state confirmed it had been investigating the operator of the facility for months.

Mark Johnson lived in a nursing supported group home near Dobbins Road and 19th Street in south Phoenix since 2020. The facility was one of ten homes operated by Legend DDD Services. On August 2, his sister Allison Hoffman visited and noted the room was sweltering. She photographed the thermostat, which read between 88 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Johnson was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt and appeared lethargic during the visit.

Hoffman stated that the air conditioning had been out for five days at that time. The family learned that Adult Protective Services was aware of the issue the day before the visit. Johnson remained in the facility for 25 days after the AC failure. He was placed on an oxygen tank and eventually removed from the home, where he died at the end of the month.

The Department of Economic Security’s Division of Developmental Disabilities began monitoring Legend DDD facilities in November 2025. Officials cited ongoing concerns about the quality of care. A corrective action plan was implemented in March 2026. By the end of August, the state terminated the provider participation agreement for Johnson’s specific home.

A termination letter dated August 31, obtained from the state’s Medicaid agency AHCCCS, outlined the reasons for the dismissal. The document cited a sustained pattern of deficiencies. These included insufficient training of nursing staff on complex medical issues and a failure to maintain minimum staffing ratios. AHCCCS sent similar termination notices to nine other group homes operated by Legend DDD.

Kimberly Harland, Johnson’s sister, said she was unaware of the state investigation until after her brother died. She questioned why officials did not contact the family when they knew the AC was broken. “Why didn’t he call me? Why didn’t somebody from the State call me to alert me that my brother was in severe distress?” Harland said. She noted that Johnson had an estimated 60 to 90 days left in his life and did not need to suffer in the heat.

Zane Garcia Ramadan, the assistant director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, explained that a termination indicates a serious situation. He stated that if an issue has a major impact on a member, officials try to notify family members as quickly as possible. In cases of systemic problems, the state can issue a stop work order to ensure services halt while residents transition to new providers.

Legend DDD Services is owned by Kerri Masengale and Dr. Feras Aldaoud. The office was closed when reporters visited in September, following reports that nurses had not been paid. The owners have not responded to recent requests for comment. The termination letters require Legend DDD to provide a smooth transition of care for members in their custody.

Harland and Hoffman plan to raise awareness for Johnson’s case at the 2026 Down Syndrome Walk Arizona on November 21. They say the family feels ignored by both the group home operator and state officials in the months since Johnson’s death. The state documents remain partially redacted, with most pages withheld from public release.