Five MA Nursing Homes Reach Settlement After Neglect Accusations

MASSACHUSETTS — Attorney General Maura Healey's Office reached settlements with five nursing homes in Massachusetts to resolve allegations of patient neglect, insufficient staff training, and inadequate care for nursing home patients, involving preventable harm and in some cases, resulting in deaths.

The settlements will return more than $250,000 to the state, including more than half to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Long Term Care Facility Quality Improvement Fund. The settlements also require important training and compliance requirements to ensure patient safety and proper response to medical emergencies moving forward.

"Residents of long-term care facilities across Massachusetts and their families deserve to feel confident that every resident will be cared for and protected," said AG Healey. "We took action against these facilities to ensure that nursing home residents are provided the best possible care, and to secure the safety and training protocols needed to avoid preventable harm."

The AG's Medicaid Fraud Division reached settlements with the following nursing homes:

Brandon Woods, New Bedford

According to the AG's Office, Brandon Woods will pay $52,000 to resolve allegations that in 2018, facility staff failed to appropriately turn and reposition a resident at high risk for pressure wounds for over five weeks.

The patient experienced rapid health declines related to the pressure injuries and was taken to the hospital where she later died.

Part of the agreement also requires a compliance program to make sure staff is properly trained as part of new staff orientation programs while documenting preventative skincare and repositioning tactics.

Heritage Hall North, Agawam

Heritage Hall North agreed to pay $55,175 to resolve allegations claiming they failed to comply with long-term care regulations requiring facilities to train staff and maintain a program of preventative skincare. The AG's Office also claimed they failed to comply with long-term care regulations and provide quality care to residents, and committed reckless neglect of a resident during her post-surgery rehabilitation, resulting in medically avoidable pressure injuries.

Part of Heritage Hall North's agreement also requires them to submit to a three-year compliance program to make sure facility staff is properly trained on preventative skincare, self-audits, and certifications of compliance.

Heritage Hall West, Agawam

Investigators found that Heritage Hall West failed to conduct any Code Blue (patient medical emergency) trainings between May 13, 2016, and July 10, 2019, and failed to adequately conduct mock automated external defibrillator drills for its nursing staff from September 16, 2016, through July 10, 2019.
Because of this, Heritage Hall West will pay $33,725 and enter into a three-year compliance program to ensure all facility staff receives mock code training on an annual basis and as part of new staff orientation programs, as well as self-audits and certifications of compliance.

Sarah Brayton Nursing Center, Fall River

Sarah Brayton Nursing Center will pay $81,500 to resolve allegations that it failed to properly implement its continence care protocol for more than 10 residents or ensure staff competencies in bowel management protocols. The facility also failed to provide adequate and appropriate care to one patient resulting in her hospitalization and death due to severe fecal impaction.

Wingate at Silver Lake, Kingston

Investigators allege that Wingate failed to ensure that its staff was CPR certified and trained on emergency response protocols and procedures. Wingate also failed to report the significant health declines of one resident to a physician. Later, the facility failed to respond appropriately to that resident's medical emergency or render proper CPR, and the resident died.

Wingate will pay $30,000 under the terms of the settlement agreement, which also requires a compliance program to ensure that staff provide all appropriate services to residents and adequately respond to medical emergencies.

Members of the public who are aware of similar circumstances in long-term care facilities, nursing homes or other health care providers should call the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Division at (617) 963-2360 or file a complaint through the Attorney General's website.