AIRES Group Homes in Arizona: Ownership, Records, and Lawsuits

Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law investigate abuse, neglect, and wrongful-death cases involving group homes and intermediate care facilities (ICF/IIDs), and we represent families nationwide. The firm focuses on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. AIRES is a privately held Arizona company that operates group homes and related day, vocational, and in-home services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It began in 1978 as Arizona Integrated Residential and Educational Services.

If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by AIRES or one of its brands, you may have legal options, and time limits can be short. Case reviews are free and confidential. Start your case or call (800) 659-2712.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Ownership and financial figures are drawn from public filings, state and federal records, and news reporting; regulatory and lawsuit items are from government records and court filings, each cited at the end of this page. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled; state findings may be appealed.

Group Home & ICF/IID Case Types We Handle

The injuries and neglect we investigate in group homes and intermediate care facilities.

Wrongful DeathPhysical & Sexual AssaultUnderstaffingChokingMedication ErrorsFalls & FracturesBedsores & Pressure InjuriesWandering & ElopementDehydrationMalnutritionBowel Obstruction & Fecal ImpactionInfections & SepsisGroup Homes & ICF/IID

What Group Homes and ICF/IIDs Are — and Why Harm Happens

A group home is a residential setting where a small number of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) live together with staff support. An intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) is a federally certified, Medicaid-funded facility that must meet federal standards for active treatment, health care, and client protections. Many residents cannot fully protect themselves or reliably report what happens to them, which is exactly why staffing, supervision, and training decide whether people are safe.

The injuries that recur in these settings are rarely mysterious. They include falls and fractures; bedsores and pressure injuries; choking on the wrong diet texture; dehydration, malnutrition, and bowel obstruction and fecal impaction; medication errors; wandering and elopement; physical or sexual assault by staff or other residents; and, in the worst cases, wrongful death. The common thread is understaffing — a home that accepts residents it is not staffed or trained to care for makes the harm foreseeable.

Who Owns AIRES?

AIRES, LLC is privately held, and its current LLC members are not publicly reported. The company grew out of Arizona Integrated Residential and Educational Services, founded in 1978 by educator Vivian Taylor. Appellate opinions from the mid-2000s describe the operator as a "licensed private corporation" that contracted with Arizona's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) under a vendor agreement; the company later reorganized as AIRES, LLC. A 2016 Arizona Republic column described then-CEO Wendy Shaw as the company's owner. No private equity sponsor, parent company, or outside investor was identified in public records reviewed for this page; Arizona Corporation Commission member/manager filings were not independently verified.

Where AIRES Operates

AIRES operates only in Arizona. Its licensed group homes are clustered in and around Tucson, Sierra Vista and Cochise County, Glendale and the west Phoenix metro, Casa Grande, and the Prescott area, with company offices reported in Phoenix, Tucson, and Prescott Valley. Arizona licenses developmental-disability group homes for six or fewer residents and does not publish bed counts for them.

AIRES Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record

Verified adverse records for AIRES are limited and largely historical. The best-documented matter is the Estate of Braden litigation arising from a 2005 resident death; the only other specific incidents confirmed here are the 1987-88 events at the Casa Grande Cholla home reported by Phoenix New Times. Several items in the research lead could NOT be independently verified and were omitted: a reported federal Provider Relief Fund payment figure (the CDC/HHS dataset could not be reached), a 2026 federal employment suit "Newell v. AIRES LLC" (the defendant could not be confirmed as this Arizona operator rather than an unrelated company of the same name), and precise ADHS AZ Care Check inspection/deficiency counts (the state portal is a JavaScript application that could not be pulled and whose deficiency detail is not published). Arizona does not publish DDD/AHCCCS Medicaid payments by provider, and abuse and neglect incident reports for DD group homes generally go to DDD and Adult Protective Services and are not public. AIRES is a state-licensed Medicaid home- and community-based-services provider; no federally certified ICF/IID operated by AIRES was found, so CMS facility inspection data does not apply.

This is not a complete litigation history, and the existence of a lawsuit or complaint is not proof of wrongdoing. A settlement is not an admission of liability. Findings by state agencies may be appealed.

Notable matters

• 2005 — Appellate ruling 2011; claims against AIRES unresolved in the public record: Estate of Braden v. State (and AIRES). Jacob Braden, an adult with developmental disabilities who received services from AIRES under a DDD vendor agreement, died in 2005 from injuries he sustained while living at an AIRES facility, according to the appellate opinions. His estate sued the State and AIRES, alleging abuse and neglect under Arizona's Adult Protective Services Act (A.R.S. 46-455), among other claims. The Arizona Court of Appeals (2010) reversed summary judgment for the State; the Arizona Supreme Court (Nov. 30, 2011) vacated that opinion and held, 3-2, that the State is not a proper defendant under the statute. The appeals addressed only the State's liability; the outcome of the claims against AIRES is not reflected in the published opinions. Allegations are not findings against AIRES. Source
• 1987 — Historical news report; a staff member reportedly convicted (individual not named): Attempted sexual assault at the Cholla group home, Casa Grande. Phoenix New Times ("Homes of Ill Repute") reported that in March 1987 a staff member at the Cholla group home in Casa Grande attempted to sexually assault a resident with a developmental disability, and that the worker had a prior felony conviction the operator said it was unaware of because it had not submitted his fingerprints for the state background check required by Arizona law. The article reports the worker was later convicted. This account is drawn from a decades-old news report, not a court record, and the individual is not named here. Source
• 1988 — Historical news report; no criminal charges reported: Resident heat death in a van, Cholla group home, Casa Grande. Phoenix New Times reported that in April 1988 a 64-year-old resident of the Cholla group home died of hyperthermia after being left in a hot van for several hours. According to the article, no criminal charges were filed. This account comes from a decades-old news report rather than a court or agency record. Source

Complaint and Harm Types in the AIRES Record

Across the public records reviewed, these are the kinds of harm that recur — the same kinds our firm investigates in group homes and ICF/IIDs. If your loved one experienced any of these, it may support a claim:

Who May Be Legally Responsible

Because AIRES operates through separate state entities and brands — and because the parent company, the licensed operator, the employer of the staff, and in some cases the property owner may be different companies — a lawsuit may need to name more than one defendant. Names that have appeared in records involving these homes include:

• AIRES, LLC
• Arizona Integrated Residential and Educational Services, Inc.

What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse in a Group Home or ICF

• Get medical care. Call 911 or go to the hospital for any serious injury, sudden decline, or unexplained bruising, fracture, or weight loss.
• Report it. Notify the home’s administrator in writing, the state or county developmental disabilities agency that receives incident reports, adult protective services, and law enforcement for any suspected crime.
• Find the licensed entity. Ask for the license or check your state’s provider lookup; the company on the license is often a state subsidiary or brand name rather than the parent company.
• Document everything. Take photos, write down dates, times, and names, and save texts and emails.
• Request records. Ask for incident reports, the individual service or program plan, medication administration records, and staffing schedules. Guardians and authorized representatives usually have access rights.
• Be careful with statements and documents. Do not give recorded statements to insurers or sign releases or arbitration agreements before talking to a lawyer. Deadlines can be short.

Frequently Asked Questions About AIRES

Who owns AIRES group homes in Arizona?

AIRES, LLC is a privately held Arizona company that grew out of Arizona Integrated Residential and Educational Services, founded by Vivian Taylor in 1978. A 2016 Arizona Republic column described then-CEO Wendy Shaw as the owner. The current members of the LLC are not publicly reported, and no parent company or outside investor was identified.

Is AIRES owned by private equity?

No private equity owner was found. Public records, news coverage, and company materials reviewed for this page show no private equity firm, parent company, or outside investor. AIRES has been run as a locally owned Arizona company since 1978, which sets it apart from private-equity-backed national chains.

What was the Estate of Braden v. State case about?

Jacob Braden, an adult with developmental disabilities who received services from AIRES under a state contract, died in 2005 from injuries suffered while living at an AIRES facility. His estate sued the State and AIRES under Arizona's Adult Protective Services Act. In 2011 the Arizona Supreme Court ruled 3-2 that the State cannot be sued for damages under that law. The outcome of the claims against AIRES is not in the published opinions.

How many group homes does AIRES run, and where?

AIRES operates only in Arizona. Its CEO told KJZZ in 2020 that it ran 65 group homes, and the state's 2024 developmental-disability group-home list shows about 60. Homes are concentrated around Tucson, Sierra Vista/Cochise County, Glendale and west Phoenix, Casa Grande, and the Prescott area. AIRES also runs day, vocational, and in-home services.

How do I check or report concerns about an AIRES group home?

Search the home name or address on Arizona ADHS's AZ Care Check to see its license and inspection history, and ask the home for the full statement of deficiencies for any inspection marked with deficiencies. For an adult with a developmental disability, Arizona routes abuse and neglect reports through Adult Protective Services (1-877-767-2385); call 911 in an emergency and notify the person's DDD support coordinator in writing.

Can I sue a group home or ICF operator for neglect or abuse?

Generally, families may bring civil claims against a group home or ICF operator when neglect or abuse causes injury or death, and the parent company and the licensed entity may both be proper defendants. Deadlines, damage rules, and required pre-suit steps vary by state, and arbitration clauses and Medicaid liens can matter. A lawyer licensed in your state can explain your options. Michael Hill Trial Law offers free, confidential case reviews for families nationwide.

Who is legally responsible when someone is harmed in a group home?

Often more than one company. These operators frequently run each home through a separate local entity that holds the license, while the building may be owned by another company and staff employed by a third; for-profit owners and investors can sit above all of them. The right defendants depend on who held the license, who employed the staff, who managed care, and who owned the property at the time of the harm.

What if we signed an arbitration agreement?

Courts do not always enforce these arbitration clauses. Whether one applies depends on who signed it, the authority that person had, and the state's law. Keep a copy of everything you signed and have a lawyer review it before assuming you cannot bring a claim.

How do I check a group home or ICF's inspection and complaint record?

Group homes are licensed and inspected mainly by state developmental-disabilities and health agencies; ICF/IIDs are also certified and inspected under federal CMS rules. Use the state agency's provider lookup for the state where the home is located, and ask the agency for inspection reports and substantiated complaints.

About Michael Hill Trial Law

Michael Hill Trial Law represents families in group home, ICF/IID, nursing home, and assisted living abuse and neglect cases. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices across the country, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms throughout the United States. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including a $26 million jury verdict for wrongful death, the highest nursing home verdict in Ohio history. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Learn more about group home and ICF/IID neglect cases, wrongful death, and physical and sexual assault, or meet our team.

Sources

Information on this page comes from government records, court filings, regulatory reports, company statements, and news reports, linked below. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled. Findings by state agencies may be subject to appeal.

1. Arizona Supreme Court - Estate of Braden v. State (Justia)
2. Arizona Supreme Court opinion PDF (azcourts.gov)
3. Arizona Court of Appeals - Estate of Braden v. State (Leagle)
4. Phoenix New Times - 'Homes of Ill Repute'
5. KJZZ - Arizona disability providers and PPE (2020)
6. KJZZ - 'UNSAFE' investigation (2024)
7. Arizona Mirror - DD providers on state rates (2019)
8. Disability Rights Arizona - COMIT group-home monitoring (2025)
9. Arizona ADHS AZ Care Check (licensing lookup)
10. A.R.S. 46-455 - Adult Protective Services Act
11. AIRES company website

This page provides general information about a company that operates group homes and intermediate care facilities. It is not legal advice and does not mean that any particular home or employee did anything wrong. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Last reviewed November 12, 2026.