Lexington Nursing Home Owners Did Not Report Serious Falls: AG

LEXINGTON, MA – The former owners and operators of nursing homes in Lexington and Cohasset will pay $15,000 for failing to report four serious resident falls at their facilities to the Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Attorney General Maura Healey announced Friday.

Lexington Care and Rehab LLC and Cohasset Care LLC, which operated The Excel Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Lexington and The Harborview Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Cohasset, violated Massachusetts consumer protection laws, Healey said. Long-term care facilities in the state must report any incidents or accidents to the DPH within a week of their occurrence.

Healey's office also alleges that the companies' failure to report the falls to CMS allowed their nursing homes to receive an inflated Quality of Resident Care rating, which customers rely on when selecting a long-term care facility.

"The law is clear – nursing homes must report falls," said AG Healey. "Failure to do so jeopardizes the safety and well-being of elderly and disabled residents."

Lexington Care and Rehab LLC closed The Excel Center last month and Cohasset Care LLC is transferring Harborview to new ownership, according to Healey. The companies have agreed not to operate a long-term care facility in Massachusetts for three years.

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