MEDIA ADVISORY: Nursing Home Workers From Across the Nation to Rally in for Improved Nursing Home Care

Workers and their supporters to travel by caravan from Toledo, Ohio to Washington, DC to highlight concerns over private equity takeover of nation's largest nursing home chain; Wash., DC rally set for Oct 22, 2007

Washington, DC- Nursing home workers and their supporters from across the nation are traveling to Toledo, Ohio Wednesday Oct. 17 to rally for improved care at the nation's largest nursing home chain as the shareholders of HCR Manor Care vote to approve a $6.3 billion buyout of the company by global buyout giant, The Carlyle Group. There is growing concern that the buyout may come at a high cost to seniors, taxpayers, and workers. The deal is expected to close by the end of year.

Coalitions of nursing home workers, patient advocates, and elected and community leaders in eight states where Manor Care operates have mounted grassroots efforts to protect seniors, taxpayers, and workers who are being put at risk in the deal. The states are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington State. In each state, the coalitions are calling on Carlyle to make specific commitments to improve care at Manor Care nursing homes and reaching out to lawmakers and regulators with their concerns about the impact of the deal on seniors, taxpayers, and workers. The multi-state campaign is the largest ever focused on the impact of a private equity buyout on people's lives.

Following the shareholders vote, a group of Manor Care workers and their supporters will travel by caravan through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to the Carlyle Group's headquarters in Washington, DC where they plan to hold demonstrations and lobby members of Congress. The caravan will include stops at Manor Care nursing homes, the offices of elected officials and other locations to be announced. The caravan is being organized by the nation's largest healthcare workers union, SEIU (Service Employees International Union).

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:

Wed., Oct. 17 - Toledo, Ohio: Rally by nursing home workers and their supporters outside the HCR Manor Care shareholders meeting
Thurs., Oct. 18 - Ohio: Lancaster, Ohio and Mentor, Ohio
Fri., Oct. 19 - Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Bedford, PA
Sat., Oct. 20 - Pennsylvania: Reading, Pennsylvania and Suburban Philadelphia, PA
Sun., Oct. 21 - Maryland: Baltimore, MD
Mon., Oct. 22 - Wash., DC: Demonstration outside the Carlyle Group Headquarters
Tues., Oct. 23 - Wash., DC: Manor Care workers and their supporters visit Capitol Hill

Details of the caravan itinerary will be announced in the coming days. For more info, visit www.CarlyleFixManorCareNow.org

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